The New Host Club Errand Girl
by KTwilight
Summary: When Haruhi's best friend Katsumi transfers from Higashi High to Ouran Academy and takes on a job as the Host Club's errand girl, things get interesting.
1. Chapter 1

Katsumi stood in front of music room three, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Why would her friend spend all her time in an abandoned music room? Was she in the right place? She checked the text message one her phone again. Nope, she was definitely in the right place. Katsumi had the results from her Ouran Academy entrance exam and scholarship application and couldn't wait to share them with her childhood friend. She knew Haruhi was excited too. From what Katsumi knew, Haruhi spent all her time surrounded by annoying guys. It would be good for her to have a female friend around.

Taking a deep breath, Katsumi turned the handle on the door. She opened it a sliver and peeked in. Rose petals blew into her face. Pushing the door open all the way she coughed, brushing the petals off.

"Hello little lamb" came a voice from the corner. A man with bright blond hair and sparkling purple eyes walked over to her. "You look lost. Is there somewhere I can help you find?"

"Actually…" Katsumi got on her tip toes, peering around the room. "I'm looking for a friend of mine… Haruhi Fujioka?"

"You know Haruhi?" Another man with black hair moved to stand behind Tamaki, adjusting his glasses on his face. His eyes glanced her up and down appraisingly. She was a little taller than Haruhi, with long brown hair. She was more filled out than Haruhi was, much more curvaceous. There was no way she could pass as a boy. Her eyes were an unusual bright green, piercing. She was wearing commoner's clothes, jeans and a black t shirt. It actually looked quite flattering on her. He turned his eyes back to his black book.

"Yeah she's an old friend. Do you know where she is?" Katsumi peeked around them, only catching the eyes of a few more boys.

"Katsumi!" One of the boys jumped up from his seat, running over to her and wrapping his arms around her.

"Haruhi?" Katsumi asked confused, holding her friend away from her at arm's length. "What… happened to you?"

"They have me posing as a boy and acting as a host to make up a stupid debt."

"Why are you in debt?"

"I broke some vase."

The other boys watched them with intrigue. Who was this girl that Haruhi was so excited to see? A friend from middle school?

"You always manage to get yourself in trouble" Katsumi said with a laugh. "Do you remember the time… we broke the thing… and you hid it from your dad… and when he found out...?" Both girls doubled over in hysterical laughter. It took them a good five minutes to stop laughing. The boys all exchanged looks.

"So… your results?" Haruhi asked, pulling her friend to sit with her on one of the couches.

"Right here in this envelope" Katsumi pulled a manila envelope out of her bag and shook it.

"Results?" Tamaki asked, moving to stand behind the couch.

"Yeah, I applied for an Ouran Academy scholarship. Haruhi convinced me I should go for it. Higashi high wasn't for me. I didn't really fit in." Katsumi smiled at her friend.

"I tried to tell you that you should've applied last semester, but you insisted on going to Higashi."

Katsumi sighed. "Yeah well… I learned my lesson, alright. So what do you say? Should we open the envelope?"

Before she could open it, it was snatched out of her hands by the twins.

"So we'd have another honors student around, huh?" One of the asked.

"Let's see what's inside!" The other exclaimed, a wicked glint in his eye. They quickly ripped apart the manila envelope.

"Hey!" Katsumi yelled, jumping up from the couch. "Give that back!"

"No way!" The twins called in unison, running away with a single white sheet of paper.

"They're always like this." Haruhi reassured her friend. "I'll go get it back for you."

Katsumi groaned, taking her head in her hands. "I see why you're always so annoyed with them."

There was a rustle and a thump from the other side of the room. "Here's your paper" Haruhi handed it back to her friend. The twins were on the ground, rubbing bumps on their heads.

"You didn't have to be so violent!" One of them yelled.

"So… what's it say?" Tamaki asked, leaning over them.

Katsumi unfolded the page, taking a deep breath before flipping it over. "I'm in!" She cried, jumping up and down excitedly. "Full scholarship!"

"That's so great!" Haruhi exclaimed. "Look, it says you'll be in class 1A. That's my class!"

"That's ours too" The twins grinned, each one resting an arm on her shoulder.

"Great" Katsumi rolled her eyes. "Wait…" she stared at the page in front of her. "The uniform is… 300,000 yen?! How can I ever afford that?!"

"I have an idea." Kyouya said, scribbling in his black book.

"Oh no, don't you drag her into this too." Haruhi said.

"What do you have in mind?" Katsumi asked, ignoring Haruhi's protest.

"We could use a new errand boy… girl in this case. By the end of the semester you could afford a uniform."

"Don't get involved with them" Haruhi warned. "It's a black hole. They drag you in and never let you go."

"Alright" Katsumi said, standing up taller. "Fine, I'll be your errand girl for a semester. It'll allow me to spend some time with my friend." Her green eyes met Kyouya's steely ones.

"It's settled then" Kyouya snapped his book shut. "Starting tomorrow you're our errand girl."

"What do I wear until then? Am I even allowed to come to school without a uniform?" Katsumi asked, turning to face Haruhi.

"Just normal clothes. That's what I wore the beginning of last semester until these guys dragged me into their black hole." She answered, sighing. Her friend was incredibly stubborn. She knew that there was no warning her. She would make her own decisions.

"Let me introduce you to everybody, okay?" Haruhi continued. "Those two are the twins, Hikaru and Kaoru. The one to your left is Kaoru and the one to your right is Hikaru."

"Hi there" the twins said in unison, smiling at her.

"The short blonde one is Hani- senpai, and his tall companion is Mori-senpai."

"Want some cake?" Hani asked her, holding up a piece of chocolate cake.

"Maybe later" Katsumi answered, shaking her head with a smile. "Thank you though Hani-senpai."

"The one with the glasses is Kyouya senpai. He manages the club." Kyouya just glanced up at Katsumi, smiling softly at her.

"Why don't you introduce me to your little friend" The tall blonde one said, walking up to them.

"This" Haruhi said, gesturing to him "is Tamaki senpai. He calls himself the king of the host club."

"That's right! I am king! Oh come on Haruhi, give your daddy a hug!" Tamaki wrapped his arms around her, holding her close.

"Tamaki senpai!" Haruhi exclaimed, struggling to escape.

Katsumi giggled. These boys sure were eccentric.

"So Katsumi" Tamaki began, finally disentangling himself from Haruhi "What's your type?"

"My type?" Katsumi asked.

"Your type. Are you interested in the mischievous type, the boy Lolita, the strong silent type, the cool type, or the princely type?"

Haruhi rolled her eyes. She already knew what her friend was going to answer.

"I don't have a type." Katsumi answered. "It's what's inside that counts, not what's on the outside. Plus those are all acts anyway, not the real you. Those girls must really be deluding themselves to fall for it."

Kyouya's eyes snapped up to her. She was intriguing. She didn't deal in falsehoods.

"Oh shit!" Katsumi checked the watch on her wrist. "I have to go home. Mom's going to freak out. I'll see you guys tomorrow! Bye Haruhi." She headed for the door, giving a small wave on her way out.

"Well she's interesting" Kyouya remarked.

"Yeah she is, isn't she?" Haruhi responded.

"How long have you known Katsumi?" The twins asked.

"Since elementary school. She's probably my best friend." Haruhi answered. "It'll be nice to have her around."

The next day Katsumi dashed through the halls, trying to reach Music Room three by three o'clock. The instructor had wanted to have a word with her after class, all because she had corrected him. It wasn't her fault that her history instructor had incorrect information about World War II. She burst through the door, doubling over with her hands on her knees to catch her breath.

"Sorry I'm late" she gasped.

"Just barely on time" Kyouya remarked.

"You sure showed our teacher a thing or two" Hikaru and Kaoru said together, approaching her and resting their elbows on her shoulder.

"You didn't have to correct him" Haruhi said, smiling at her friend.

"I did and you know it" Katsumi pointed an accusing finger at Haruhi.

"Yeah I know" Haruhi said with a laugh.

"Looks like you're a pretty confident princess." Tamaki remarked.

"I'm no princess. And no, not too confident. I just know when I'm right." Katsumi placed her hands on her hips.

"Ooh so sassy" Kaoru remarked.

"I think she's cute!" Hani- senpai exclaimed. Katsumi felt a little proud. She'd tried really hard to be cute today. She was wearing a knee length black lace skirt, with knee high stockings and black combat boots. On top she wore a striped long sleeve sweater. "Don't you think so Takashi?"

"Hnn" Mori responded.

"I guess I should get to work, huh?" Katsumi asked. "Where should I start?"

"Well today we're not really doing anything. We're planning a party for our guests." Kyouya answered, adjusting his glasses.

"So you don't need me?"

"Not at the moment, no" Kyouya replied.

"You can study with me, Katsumi." Haruhi offered.

"Sounds good." She adjusted her pack on her back and sat across the table from Haruhi.

"She's interesting" Hikaru and Kaoru said.

"So what happened in your class today?" Kyouya asked them.

"Oh she totally roasted the teacher. He was giving false information about some World War or the other, and she blasted him." Hikaru responded.

"She's a fiery one!" Hani said, sitting on a chair and swinging his legs back and forth.

"Yeah, she is" Mori responded.

Katsumi rested her head on the table, groaning. "Why does math hate me?"

"Because it's math" Haruhi answered. "I don't think it's that hard."

"You've never found anything difficult." Katsumi raised her head just enough to glare at her friend.

"That's not true!" Haruhi insisted. "Everyone here is difficult."

"Including moi?" Katsumi asked, sitting up straight and gesturing to herself.

"Especially you" Haruhi glared at her playfully and Katsumi laughed.

"Fine, I'm going to go ask one of the twins about our math homework, since you don't seem to want to help me" she accused lightly, getting up from her seat. Haruhi rolled her eyes and got back to work on her math. Katsumi gave a quick look around the room. Kyouya was writing notes in his little black book, Hani- senpai was eating a piece of cake and Mori was reading a book across from him. Tamaki was sitting across from Kyouya, going on and on about something and pointing to pictures in magazines. The twins were lounging on a couch, playing video games.

"Hey Kaoru, can you help me with my math?" she asked, approaching the twin on the left.

"I'm Hikaru, not Kaoru" he answered coolly, not looking up from his game.

"No, you're definitely Kaoru." Katsumi replied, glaring at him. His eyes snapped away from his video game and up to her. "Hikaru has a more mischievous look in his eyes. His tone tends to be more sarcastic when he's speaking on his own. You're the calmer one. That's how I know you're Kaoru."

"You… got me." Kaoru answered, his eyes big.

"So can you help me with my math or not?" Katsumi asked flatly, arching her eyebrow at him.

"Uh… yeah… sure" Kaoru responded, scooting over on the couch.

"Great, thanks!" she plopped down right next to him, opening up her math book. Kaoru was surprised. She was able to tell them apart no problem. She acted like it wasn't even a big deal. How could she do that after only one day? It took Haruhi a few weeks before she was able to do that. He looked her up and down, doing more than just glancing her over as he'd done before. She was interesting, and cute. She didn't look anything like Haruhi did when she wore commoner's clothes to school. She didn't need a host club makeover. He knew that Hikaru adored Haruhi, but Kaoru only fawned over her to annoy Tamaki. None of his guests really intrigued him. They couldn't tell them apart anyway. They weren't really interested in getting to know the real him. They were boring and predictable but this girl… she was different.

"Kaoru, did you hear what I asked?" Katsumi looked up at him, waiting for a response.

"Oh… no I didn't, sorry."

Katsumi sighed. "I was asking about this problem. I don't understand how we can take the derivative in this case."

"You just multiply the number in front of x by the exponent and the exponent goes down by one." Kaoru answered.

"But in this case the exponent is a fraction. How does that work?" she groaned. "Sorry to pester you with all this… I hate math. It's never been my easiest subject."

"No… it's alright." Kaoru responded. She definitely wasn't pestering him. Hikaru glanced over at his brother and felt an intense pang of jealousy. Kaoru was smiling at that new girl. He'd overhead them earlier. She could actually tell them apart; an impressive feat. He didn't understand why Kaoru looked so taken with her. She wasn't anything special, just a commoner. He glanced up at the table where Tamaki and Kyouya were sitting. Every once and a while Kyouya would glance over towards Katsumi and Kaoru. Was Kyouya taken with her too? He had admitted she was intriguing. That was as good as a declaration of love from Kyouya. But still, he didn't understand why Kaoru liked her. She wasn't even that pretty. He ground his teeth. There was no way she was going to get between them.

"Oh I see. So I multiply the 2 by the 3/2, and then the 3/2 becomes ½?" Katsumi asked to clarify.

"Yeah exactly" Kaoru said with a smile. "Looks like you've got it."

"Thanks a bunch" she returned his smile.

"Hey, you have a cell phone?" he asked her.

"Yeah… why?" Katsumi asked skeptically.

"Can I see it?"

"Sure, but no funny business, alright?" She pulled her phone out of her bag and handed it to Kaoru.

"Here's my number" Kaoru offered as he typed, "in case you need more help later and I'm not around."

"Oh, thank you" Katsumi smiled up at him. They didn't seem nearly as bad as Haruhi said they were. Kaoru was definitely less mischievous when he was alone. "I'll definitely let you know." She gave him another wide smile before gathering up her stuff and going back to the table where Haruhi was sitting.

"Got the help you needed?" she asked Katsumi.

"Yep! Looks like I don't need you anymore!" Katsumi giggled.

"You'll always need me."

"You're right. What would I do without you?"

"Fail math." Katsumi laughed.

"Oh so I realized that being errand girl for this club of yours means I can't be a part of any of the martial arts clubs."

"Hey at least you're only tied down for a semester. I've got all four years." Haruhi responded flatly. "Join Karate or Kendo next semester."

"But I'll get rusty!"

"So practice with Hani- senpai or Mori- senpai. They're both martial artists." Tamaki offered from across the room.

"Stop butting in to my conversations!" Haruhi yelled.

"You guys are martial artists, huh?" Katsumi asked the boys who were sitting one table over.

"Yep!" Hani- senpai answered, taking a huge bite of strawberry cake. "I practice Karate and Judo and Takashi practices Kendo!"

"Awesome! Would you want to spar sometime?"

"I would… but I just ate this cake. Takashi, why don't you spar with her?"

"Alright" Mori set his book down and stood up.

"Right now? Alright then." Katsumi asked with a smirk, getting up from the table.

"Katsumi!" Haruhi exclaimed with alarm.

"Oh come on Haurhi, this'll be fun. It's been a long time since I've had a worthy opponent." She shifted into fighting stance. Haruhi groaned. Her friend was hopeless. She was going to break something.

Mori's steely grey eyes met Katsumi's piercing green ones. He got the feeling that this was going to be easy. He tried to kick her side, she blocked with her arm and ducked, swinging her foot out and trying to trip him. Jumping over her leg, Mori tried to punch with his left arm. Ducking under his arm she slid between his legs. Confused, Mori turned around too late, receiving a swift kick to the stomach.

"Woah!" Hani exclaimed. "I've never seen anyone do that before!"

"Did she just-?" Tamaki asked.

"Mori-senpai!" The twins exclaimed.

Getting to his feet, Mori had to admit that he'd underestimated this girl. She was a good fighter. Mori tried her move, ducking low to try to trip her with his leg. She jumped high, wrapping her legs around his neck so she was sitting on his shoulders from behind. Ducking had been a mistake.

"Give up yet?" She whispered in his ear.

"Not by a long shot."

"Your funeral." She smirked. She pushed on a pressure point behind Mori's ear, causing him to collapse on the floor.

"Piece of cake" Katsumi said, climbing off his shoulders and wiping off her hands on her skirt. Mori sat on the floor mortified. It had been years since he'd been beaten. What had just happened? She had no predictable fighting style. She hadn't caught his eye before, no woman ever had. He'd been too wrapped up in school and Kendo. Now however, his mind was racing. Taking a closer look at her he realized that she was good looking, sturdier than Haruhi and most of the prissy, upper-class entitled girls that were their guests. Mori was really only a host because Mitsukuni was. Katsumi thought for herself, was incredibly observant, spoke her mind, and could fight on his level. Who was she?

"How did you learn to fight like that Katsu-chan?" Hani asked her.

"I grew up in a rough neighborhood. My mom decided I would martial arts from a young age, so I'd know how to defend myself" she answered, offering the boy a smile.

"She's deadly" Haruhi warned. "I've watched her knock boys on their butt for looking at her the wrong way."

"Is that so?" Kyouya asked. This girl really was intriguing. Honest, intelligent, observant, and also an amazing marital artist. He'd never met anyone like her. All the heiresses he'd met were quiet and super composed. They always kept a wall up. They were fragile flowers. This woman was wild, loud, and spoke her mind. She wasn't a flower, she was a bright sun, hot and could burn you if you got too close. He smiled to himself. Looks like he was going to be risking a sunburn.

Kaoru was staring at her amazed. She was more amazing than he'd initially thought. He didn't know anybody that could kick Mori- Senpai onto his ass except perhaps Hani-senpai. She was observant, incredibly honest, and kick ass too. She was unlike any girl he'd ever met. He felt his heart skip a beat. He glanced at HIkaru. What would he think if he knew how Kaoru felt about Katsumi?

Mori had picked himself up off the ground and was dusting himself off. He could see the way that Kaoru and Kyouya were looking at her. Kouru's eyes were wide, as if he'd never seen anything more brilliant. Kyouya looked hungry, as if she were a piece of meat he was evaluating for tenderness. Tamaki, Hikaru, and Mitsukuni just looked merely intrigued at her ability to knock him on his ass. Mori locked eyes with first Kyouya, then Kaoru. Looks like he had competitors. Things were about to get interesting.


	2. Chapter 2

The next day in class, Kaoru took the seat next to Katsumi. Haurhi was sitting on her other side and the two girls had their heads together whispering about something.

"Hi Katsumi, hey Haruhi" he said, greeting them both.

"Oh hey Kaoru" Katsumi greeted him, giving him a huge smile. Kaoru returned her smile, feeling butterflies flutter in his stomach. Hikaru took the seat on the other side of his brother, watching him interact with that new girl. He scowled. God it was sickening, watching him drool all over her. He checked the clock, ten minutes until class started.

"Oh look, it's the whore of Higashi." One of the girls in their class had walked over to Katsumi's desk, sneering at her.

"Oh look, it's a walking talking banana" Katsumi said, brushing off her comment.

"What the hell?!" Kaoru yelled, directing an angry glare at the girl.

"Why don't you leave her alone?!" Haruhi demanded.

"Oh your little friend didn't tell you?" she asked them. The girl laughed. Her laugh was high, cold and cruel. "She slept with the entire Karate club back at Higashi. That's why she transferred. Though I also heard she was kicked out."

"Shut up" Katsumi snapped, her face tight. "You don't know anything."

"Oh I know plenty." The girl responded. "The captain of the Karate club has been blasting all the details online."

"He… what?" Katsumi's face went white.

"That's right whore. There's no escape now. I bet you'll even get kicked out of Ouran once the news gets out. What I read didn't seem like the types of things a nice honors student would do."

"Just shut up!" Katsumi yelled, jumping up out of her seat and running out of the room, tears streaming down her face.

"Katsumi!" Kaoru and Haruhi called, both standing up in their seats. Haruhi dashed out of the room, following her friend.

"Looks like she's pulling in the boys here too. She'll probably sleep around with the whole Host Club." The girl sneered.

"She's not like that!" Kaoru insisted. "You've got to be wrong!" Kaoru turned to Hikaru. "I'll be right back."

"Wait, where are you going?" Hikaru demanded.

"I'm going to find Katsumi" Kaoru answered, dashing out of the classroom.

"They're all falling at her feet" the girl sneered, watching Kaoru leave. Hikaru matched her expression. Kaoru was totally blind sided.

Haruhi dashed down the halls, looking for Katsumi. A moment later she was joined by Kaoru. "Where'd she go?" Kaoru asked her.

"I don't know." Haurhi replied, stopping to catch her breath. "She dashed off."

"We've gotta find her" Kaoru said. "Where would she hide?"

"The music room?" Haruhi offered. "No one would be there right now, so she'd be alone."

"Good guess, let's try there."

"What's the meaning of this?" Kyouya asked Katsumi. He had been studying in the music room. "Aren't you supposed to be in class?"

"I… I'm sorry… Kyouya senpai" she choked out. "I can go…"

"No, there's no need." Kyouya got up from his table to approach her. He was taken aback to see that her face was tear stained. "What happened? Why are you upset?"

"It's… it's nothing." Katsumi started to shake. She couldn't believe that those rumors followed her here. She had thought that Ouran would've been far enough away… she had thought wrong. Looks like the social circles overlapped more than she thought.

"It's obviously not nothing if it has you in tears" Kyouya observed.

"Well you probably don't want to hear about it." Katsumi sniffed, stopping the flow of tears.

"It's about those rumors from Higashi, isn't it?" His steely gaze met her watery green eyes.

"How… how could you know about that?" She staggered back, taking a step or two away from Kyouya.

"I have my sources" he answered.

"Katsumi!" Haurhi and Kaoru called, bursting through the doors into music room three.

"Are you alright?" Haurhi asked her.

"What the hell was that bitch going on about?" Kaoru demanded.

Katsumi's shoulders started to shake as she burst out in tears again.

"Here… Katsumi… sit down. I'll go make you some tea" Haruhi offered, taking her friends hand and leading her to sit down.

Kaoru took a seat next to her, keeping a respectful distance. Could any of those rumors be true? If they were, why was Katsumi so upset? If they were… did that change how he felt? "Would you like to tell us about what really happened at Higashi?" Kyouya asked her.

Katsumi nodded. "Yeah… sure." Hopefully these boys would believe her. "Well… I was co-captain of the Karate club back at Higashi. The other captain was a boy a year above me named Kosuda. One day he cornered me after practice. He told me that he wanted me to be his girlfriend… and when I told him I wasn't interested… he smacked me across the face." She cradled her left cheek in her hand. "He told me that if he couldn't have me, he would make sure no one else would ever want me. Then… that's when the rumors began. It started with just one; that I slept with him. After that didn't convince me to be with him, he got the rest of the Karate club members in on it. Soon there were rumors going around the school that I'd slept with each one of them. Eventually the rumors got so bad that I had to transfer out of Higashi. No one would even talk to me. Even the teachers. Haruhi suggested I come here. But it looks like the rumors followed me anyway." Her shoulders began to shake again, and more fat tears fell from her eyes.

"So Haurhi knew the truth all along" Kyouya remarked. Of course she did. Katsumi was her best friend.

"How could someone do that to you?" Kaoru asked her. Katsumi turned to look at him. He was fuming. His hands were shaking and the rage in his eyes was obvious. "I swear I'll…"

"You'll what?" Katsumi demanded. "Beat him up? He's been studying Karate for years! Plus… from what that girl said… he already blasted the rumors all over the internet!" she yelled, snapping at Kaoru. "Sorry I… I'm just upset…"

"I'll see to this" Kyouya stated, pulling out his cell phone and walking off. "I can't have those rumors floating around regarding someone associated with the Host Club." He was furious too, but he was better at disguising it. How dare they?! He would do more than have those rumors removed… he would make sure that boy would never utter another word again. He paused mid dial. His emotions had been getting the better of him. Haurhi had summarized it nicely once… he always had something to gain. So what did he have to gain here? He was sure that his father would disapprove. He looked at Katsumi again. Haruhi had returned with the tea and Katsumi was still crying, leaning on her friend's shoulder. He knew what he had to gain… her. This loud, stubborn, sharp tongued, hot tempered girl. He pushed the first number on his speed dial. "I have new orders for you" he began.

Katsumi heard Kyouya's phone snap shut from across the room. "It's taken care of."

"You… you didn't have to" Katsumi began.

"It's no problem. Though there are conditions" Kyouya said with a smirk.

"Conditions?" she asked, hoping he'd clarify. That smirk of his made her nervous.

"Well… condition really. Dinner. With me. Saturday night." Kaoru and Haruhi gasped.

"You want me to go on a date with you?" Katsumi raised her eyebrows at him.

"Yes, that's precisely what I want." Haurhi glanced up at Kyouya. There was steely resolve in his eyes, a hunger that wasn't there before. Was it lust? Did he really think her friend was that easy? Was he trying to use her, like a pawn in his game?

"Is this because you think I'm easy!? Did you not believe my side of the story?!" Katsumi snapped. Haruhi smiled. She knew her friend would never fall for the Shadow King's tricks. She saw right through him.

"That's not it at all. I don't think you're easy. I think you'll be difficult, a challenge. You intrigue me, and I want to get to know you better."

"You find a commoner like me intriguing?" Katsumi asked skeptically.

"You're unlike any woman I've ever met" Kyouya said simply. "You're not some docile heiress. I doubt my father will approve… but let me handle him."

"I know your type. You play games, with people as your pieces. I won't be a pawn in your game Kyouya Otori" she glared at him and Haurhi sighed in relief. She couldn't imagine what would happen if her friend got involved with the Shadow King. She had been surprised that he had been willing to go against what his father would want. Kyouya senpai lived to please his father.

"A queen is of much more use to me than a pawn." Kyouya's eyes met Katsumi's. She could see the resolve in them. He wasn't backing down.

Kaoru's hands were clenched in rage beside him. How dare he?! The Shadow King doesn't waste any time when he sees something he wants. If it's competition he wanted, a competition he would get. Kaoru paled. He didn't know how to treat a woman he actually wanted. His charm usually came from being part of a two person act. He didn't know how to be charming on his own! Even if he did, he didn't know what he would do to show her he really cared. All he knew was his host club charms, and those definitely wouldn't work. She made it clear that she felt all that was only an act, and she was right. All those girls he played host to meant nothing to him.

"Fine" Katsumi said with a sigh. "Fine I'll go to dinner with you on Saturday." Haruhi whipped her head around to her friend. "It's going to take a lot to impress me though."

"I wouldn't expect anything less. Your outfit will arrive Saturday afternoon. I'll pick you up at seven. Now if you'll excuse me… I have to leave for class." With that Kyouya turned on his heels and walked out of the room, leaving a dumbfounded Kaoru, Haruhi, and Katsumi in his wake.

"Well that was different" Haurhi stated.

Katsumi groaned. "Looks like I have to go through with it, huh? I mean he's good looking… but I doubt I'm anything more than just a trophy to be won."

Kaoru relaxed. She didn't seem overly interested. However he bet Kyouya would win her over. If she really meant something to him, if he really wanted to get to know the real her… if he really opened up and invested himself… would she have him?

"I don't know Katsumi" Haruhi replied. "He seems to really like you. When Kyouya senpai sees something he wants, he goes after it without hesitation. Seems he has his sights set on you."

"Well we'll have to see whether I'm a trophy for him to win or whether he's actually interested."

"And how can he prove that?" Kaoru asked skeptically.

"He'll open up to me… and let me help him. He'll let me inside his own little world. If he can't do that… then I really am just a trophy." Katsumi rested her head on Haruhi's shoulder. "Though I don't know how I feel about him. It's too soon to tell."

"Kyouya senpai never opens up to anybody" Kaoru remarked.

"Oh like you and Hikaru do?" Haurhi countered sarcastically.

"Well… okay you have a point" Kaoru admitted. "Should we get back? I bet Hikaru is worried about us."

"Where the hell are they?" Hikaru thought, attempting to pay attention to the teacher. "It's been almost an hour."

A moment later the three of them walked through the door. Haruhi first, then Katsumi and finally Kaoru.

"I apologize for being late, but Miss Horishito was feeling poorly so we took her to the nurse." Kaoru said.

"Of course Mr. Hitachiin. You three please have a seat."

Katsumi sat down in her seat from this morning, her bag still sitting by it. Taking a pencil and paper out, she began to doodle so it would look like she was taking notes. Kyouya senpai's behavior confused her. She was just a commoner. What could a blue blood like Kyouya have to gain from her? He mentioned his father disapproving. Did that mean that they couldn't be together even if that's what they wanted?

She also wondered why Kaoru chased after her but not Hikaru. From what Haruhi had told her, the boys were never apart. But Kaoru had chased after her leaving Hikaru behind. She was glad he was her friend. It was nice to have his support. At least she had two friends now. And Kyouya… whatever he was.

By the end of the day Katsumi was exhausted. It was everything she could do to not fall asleep on her desk.

"Come on Katsumi. It's time for the club." Haruhi rested her hand on her friend's shoulder.

Katsumi sighed, gathering up her papers and pens and stuffing them in her bag. "Do I have to?"

"Do you want a school uniform?" Haruhi countered.

"I'm not sure I want to look like a banana, but I am tired of sticking out like a sore, black thumb." Katsumi sighed again, slowly getting up from her seat.

She and Haruhi walked side by side up to the music room, discussing everything but what happened that morning, classwork, Haruhi's father and Katsumi's mother.

"Okay Kyouya senpai, what are the schedules like today?" Haruhi asked.

"Tamaki has booked a dozen clients, a full booking, Mori senpai and Hani senpai have eight, the twins have eight as well, and Haruhi, you've booked five. Well done."

"What about you senpai?" Katsumi asked.

"I have seven clients today" Kyouya stated coolly, like it was no big deal.

"So what am I supposed to do?" she queried.

"Today I just want you to sit and observe. That way next time you can take over some of the menial duties, like cleaning up the dishes, making tea and the like."

"Man, if I didn't know better, I wouldn't have guessed you'd asked me out to dinner earlier this morning. You're acting all aloof" Katsumi accused.

"I must act aloof here. I can't show too much interest in any particular woman. It would be bad for business. I am the cool type after all." His eyes met hers, but instead of his usually steely gaze, his eyes were soft. "Trust me when I tell you that I'm very much looking forward to our dinner on Saturday."

"I see" Katsumi said flatly. "Well, I guess I'm going to go observe." Adjusting her pack on her back, she moved over to a table against the far wall. At least here she'd be out of the way. Kyouya watched her retreating figure. Oh yes… she was definitely going to be a challenge.

The guests started filing in. No one really paid Katsumi any mind; they were too excited to see their respective hosts. She was actually really interested to see how the boys behaved around their guests. Hani senpai seemed to only get cuter, rolling around on the girl's laps. Mori was his normal stoic self. Most of the girls seemed to be fawning over Hani, ignoring Mori. Katsumi figured Mori's appeal as a host was directly related to the big brother/little brother relationship he had with Hani senpai.

Her gaze softened as she took advantage of his distraction to really get a good look at him. He was extremely tall, taller than anyone else she knew. If she had to guess, she'd peg him at about 6'2". His hair looked unkempt, but she got the feeling he carefully styled it to look that way. His facial features were sharp and strong, however he definitely wasn't unpleasant to look at. She knew he was well muscled, she could tell from their fight the day before. Katsumi wondered why the girls seemed so uninterested in him. Maybe because he was quiet. He seemed shy to her.

Her eyes flicked to the table where Haruhi was hosting. She could understand why the girls liked her. When she dressed as a guy, she did look handsome. Haruhi always had a natural charm about her that drew people in.

She assessed the twins next. They were a perfect complimentary pair. Everything was in synch. She watched Kaoru purposefully spill tea, burning his finger.

"You have to be more careful Kaoru!" Hikaru exclaimed, taking Kaoru's hand in his own so he could examine the burn. The eyes of their guests became huge. Katsumi could almost sense the arousal from the opposite side of the room. The twins carefully calculated each move. Hosting was like a game to them. She hoped they didn't treat their friends the same way.

Tamaki was definitely a princely character, devoting his entire attention to his guests. Everything he said was about how they made him feel and how much he adored them. Katsumi bet that whole act was just a bunch of malarkey. From what Haruhi had told her about Tamaki, he was actually really awkward when it came to voicing his true feelings.

Kyouya was the stark opposite of Tamaki. He asked the girls about their lives and about their day, making everything about them rather than about him. She wondered if he would treat her that way when he took her out to dinner.

After about a half hour the guests stood up and left the room. The hosts rushed to clean up all the tea cups and snack plates, placing new ones down for the next round of guests. Moments later the next round of yellow clad girls ran in. This next half hour was almost exactly like the last. Kaoru even did the same trick with the tea.

By the third round of guests, Katsumi was getting bored. Mori senpai and Hani senpai were finished for the day, since they had four guests per round. Hani senpai had retrieved another piece of cake from the stock cupboard, munching on it greedily.

"Can I sit here?" Mori senpai asked her, gesturing to the seat across from her.

"Sure, go ahead Mori senpai." Katsumi smiled at him, and he felt his insides squirm. Okay, step one was complete. He pulled the chair out and sat down, pulling out the book he'd wanted to finish this week. He tried to focus on the words, but they turned to unintelligible black squiggles. Man, he really should've thought beyond step one.

"Hey Mori senapi, would you be up for a rematch sometime?" Katsumi asked him with a smirk on her face. He gulped, rehearsing his reply over and over in his head before speaking.

"Yeah. Stop by the dojo sometime."

"The dojo? You mean your family's dojo, the one you practice at?" she asked. "I doubt I'd be welcome there."

"You're welcome. I've invited you" he insisted, raising his eyes from the page he was reading to meet hers.

"Sure, sounds like a plan. When would you like me to come?"

"Saturday?" Mori asked her.

Katsumi shook her head. "No go. Kyouya insisted I go out to dinner with him on Saturday." Mori felt the color drain from his face. Kyouya got to her first.

"Tomorrow?" Mori offered. The next day was Friday. Maybe if he spent some time with her before Kyouya got her in his clutches… Katsumi thought for a moment, she didn't think that she had anything planned.

"Tomorrow's good!" she exclaimed with a grin. "I'm excited to practice with you. I definitely don't want to get rusty. Wait… how am I going to get there? Mom works late and I bet it's too far to walk."

"You can ride with me."

"Sure, sounds good! Hey Mori senpai, what're you reading?" His heart pounded in his chest. She was riding home with him tomorrow. As a response, Mori held up the book so she could read the cover.

"Hamlet? Is that for class?"

"No. I like Shakespeare" Mori answered.

"Yeah, I do too. Though I honestly think Hamlet was really whiney. I like Macbeth best. I think that play best represents human nature. Macbeth is tempted by power and so he goes after it, taking down anyone in his path. He eventually gets what he wants, but that power, and the way he obtained it, destroys him."

Mori was dumbfounded. She read Shakespeare too, and understood it. "Unfortunately that's not how it works in our world" he replied.

"Yeah, I've noticed. Haruhi's told me a little bit about it. Though I guess that saves me from high school heartbreak. I doubt any of the blue blooded boys at this school would see any value in a commoner like me." Takashi felt his heart skip a beat. If only he could tell her how valuable he found her. However it felt like his tongue had swollen in his mouth so he couldn't form the words.

The twins saved him. They had just finished cleaning up after the last of their clients and Kaoru came over to talk to Katsumi.

"How're you doing?" Kaoru asked her. "Has anybody else said anything? Did she leave you alone?" Mori furrowed his brow. What was Kaoru talking about?

Katsumi nodded. "Nobody else said anything. I think Kyouya senpai's taken care of it for now."

"Well… just let me know if it comes up again, alright? I'll be here."

"Thanks Kaoru, I really appreciate it." Katsumi smiled up him. Kaoru returned her smile. She was so sweet. How was he going to win her over?

"Ready to go home Katsumi?" Haruhi asked her, approaching the table.

"Totally" Katsumi jumped up from the table. "Bye boys! See you tomorrow. I'm looking forward to sparring with you tomorrow after school Mori senpai." Kaoru's head whipped around to Mori. She was going to spend time sparring with Mori senapi? She also had dinner Saturday with Kyouya senpai. Kaoru groaned internally. He didn't have a prayer.


	3. Chapter 3

Katsumi stormed out of her apartment, slamming the door behind her. Her mother… how dare she? Katsumi was prepared for her coming home drunk, she did that every Friday night… but she hadn't prepared for the slug to the face.

 _"You bitch of a daughter!" Her mom yelled, throwing a punch straight at her eye. "Whore of Higashi, huh? Didn't you think about how sleeping around with the whole Karate Club would affect my reputation? My supervisor heard all about it from his daughter."_

 _"Mom, stop! I didn't sleep with them! They spread those rumors because I wouldn't go out with Kosuda!" Katsumi threw up her arms in defense, her forearm taking the brunt of the next punch. She could smell the alcohol on her mom's breath._

 _"I highly doubt that. Just admit it… you slept with them all… you whore!" Another punch to her arm. Her mother had never hit her before. Dodging out of the way, Katsumi made a mad dash for the door, grabbing her pack on the way out. The door slammed behind her._

Her mom hadn't believed her. She would rather believe that her daughter slept around with a whole Karate team than believe that they were false rumors. What had she ever done to make her mother not believe her? Katsumi gently patted the area around her eye, wincing. Great… she was going to have a black eye in the morning. Whipping out her cell phone, Katsumi dialed Haruhi's number. It went straight to voice mail. She groaned. Haruhi must've forgotten to charge her cell phone again. Rain poured down on her as she scrolled through her contacts looking for someone to call.

None of her old friends were talking to her. They all believed those false rumors Kosuda and his friends had spread. It was a simple popularity contest. Kosuda was more popular so everyone believed him. Haruhi's phone was dead. She definitely wasn't going back home to her mother.

'No' she thought as she scrolled. 'No… no…" She paused. Kaoru. Biting her lip, she considered calling him. She really didn't want to be a pest… but she needed somewhere to go. She was soaked… and there's no way she was sleeping on the street. She dialed.

Hikaru and Kaoru were doing homework in the library of their mansion when Kaoru's phone rang.

"Who is it Kaoru?" Hikaru asked.

"I don't know the number. Maybe it's Katsumi. I gave her my number the other day."

"Why'd you do that?" Hikaru snapped.

"In case she needed help with her math" Kaoru answered. Hikaru's tone was overly hostile. Did he have something against Katsumi? Kaoru flipped his phone open.

"Hello?" he answered.

"Hey Kaoru… it's Katsumi."

"What's up Katsumi?" Kaoru shot a look at his scowling brother.

"I hate to be a pest… but I need your help." Katsumi shivered. She had forgotten to grab a coat in her hurry to get out of the house.

"You're no pest. I was just working on my math homework."

"It's… not math." Her voice broke. Katsumi's whole body started to shake as she tried to hold back sobs.

"Katsumi is everything alright?" Kaoru sounded alarmed. Hikaru snapped his head up to look at his brother. He looked worried.

"No… my mother… she heard all those rumors… she was drunk… she hit me. I ran away… I have nowhere to go." Katsumi's legs gave out and she fell to her knees, sobbing on the sidewalk.

"Where are you? Let me send a car to pick you up." Hikaru scowled. His brother was totally getting played.

"Thanks Kaoru. Is it really okay if I stay with you guys tonight?"

"Yeah of course. No problem. I don't want you out on the streets. Now… where are you?"

"So… what happened?" Hikaru asked after Kaoru hung up the phone.

"Katsumi's mother was drunk and tried to beat her up. She ran away and she needs somewhere to go." Hikaru's gaze softened. He hadn't known what Katsumi was dealing with at home. He supposed having her around wouldn't be so bad.

Kaoru tried to turn his attention back to his homework, but he couldn't focus. Was Katsumi okay? She said that her mom had hit her. He knew that she was a great martial artist but… what if her mom had landed a hit. Was she hurt? How long had she been out in the rain before she had called him? He knew he probably wasn't her first choice.

Hikaru saw how worried Kaoru was. His pencil was tightly clenched in his hand and he had been staring at the same place on his paper for the past five minutes.

"Kaoru… she'll be okay." Hikaru reached his hand across the table and placed it on his brother's arm. He may not like her, but he didn't want her hurt, and he certainly didn't want his brother upset. "We can take care of her."

"Thanks Hikaru." Kaoru smiled at his brother. He could tell that Hikaru didn't like Katsumi, but at least he was sucking it up… for now. He kept wondering when Hikaru's jealousy would get the better of him.

"Young Masters?" their butler inquired, opening the door to the library.

"Yes, what is it?" Hikaru asked impatiently.

"Miss Horishito is here" the butler answered simply.

"Well what are you waiting for? Send her in!" Kaoru demanded.

The butler bowed and backed away from the door, allowing Katsumi to enter the room. She was soaking wet, and wrapped up in a blanket. Kaoru winced as he looked at her face. A nasty black bruise was beginning to form around her left eye.

Standing up Kaoru went to her and held her at arm's length, looking her over. "Katsumi, are you alright?"

Katsumi nodded. "Yeah, it's just my eye. My mom caught me by surprise. She was drunk… like she is every Friday night. She's never hit me before though."

"You're totally soaked. Do you have any clothes?"

She shook her head. "I just managed to grab my bag on my way out of the apartment. I just… was desperate to get away."

"We can give you some of our mother's clothes from her fall line. I'm sure she'll have something in your size" Kaoru offered.

"Oh no… I couldn't. We'll just dry these out."

"I insist." Kaoru stared into her eyes. He looked so intensely worried.

"Just let us give you clothes" Hikaru insisted, his gaze gentle. She looked horrible, like she'd been through hell.

She shivered and Kaoru pulled her into a big hug. "I'm just glad you're okay." He rested his head on top of hers. She sighed and hugged him back. His body felt nice and warm against hers.

"Thanks Kaoru, for letting me stay. Thank you too Hikaru, for putting up with me."

"Stay as long as you need. It won't be a problem. I promise you." Kaoru gave her one last squeeze before letting her go. "Let's get you cleaned up. You can use the shower in my room and I'll get our maids to bring you a nightgown. I'll show you where it is." Kaoru linked her arm with his as he led her out of the library.

Hikaru sat and fumed. Great. Now she was going to be around for god knows how long. He couldn't be too angry though. She looked horrible. She had been dripping wet, tears in her stockings, and had been sporting a fresh looking black eye. He could tell Kaoru adored her. The look of relief on his face when she walked through the room had been evident. Hikaru gently bit the eraser end of his pencil. How was he going to keep them apart?

"Hey Kaoru" Katsumi started, "Thanks for letting me stay. Really. I'm not sure how long I'll have to stay. I'm sure Haruhi could find the space for me soon. So that way I'll be out of your way."

"You're staying here" Kaoru stated. "We have security in case your mom shows up. You're welcome here as long as you need."

"I don't want to be a burden…" She ducked her head.

Kaoru stopped her in front of the door to his bedroom, tilting her head up so her eyes met his. "You're not a burden. You're in trouble and we have a place for you to stay. It's no problem."

"I… I can't pay you back…"

"I don't want you to pay me back. This isn't some favor I expect you to repay later. I'm doing this for you because you're my friend. No strings attached. Now go on. Once inside the bathroom is the first door on the left. The second door leads into Hikaru's bedroom. The maids will drop off a nightgown for you." She was amazed by Kaoru's kindness. He was doing this out of the goodness of his heart.

'I guess the twins don't treat their friendships like they treat their guests' she thought.

Katsumi wrapped her arms around Kaoru's neck and pulled him in for a giant hug before opening the door to the bedroom. Kaoru tried hard to banish the thought of her naked in his shower from his mind as he walked back to the library, but it seemed to want to stick around.

"Is Katsumi all set?" Hikaru asked when Kaoru returned to the library.

"I think so. It's late though. I'm going to pack up my stuff and head to bed."

"Alright" Hikaru said shortly. Kaoru glanced up at his brother as he shuffled his papers together. How was he going to make him accept Katsumi?

"Hey, I'll be in once I make sure Katsumi's alright and I'm ready for bed" Kaoru assured his brother before walking out of the library.

"Katsumi?" Kaoru asked, knocking on his bedroom door.

"Come in Kaoru" she called. Kaoru opened the door, shutting it gently behind him before turning to face her. She was wearing a light pink knee length silk nightgown with spaghetti straps. Kaoru felt a twitch in his pants and his face turned red. He shook his head to clear it. No, no naughty thoughts. She needed him as a friend.

"How're you doing? Do you need anything?" Kaoru inquired.

Katsumi shook her head. "No, I'm alright I just…" she sighed.

"What is it?"

"I'm worried about my mom. I don't know what she'll do when I don't come home. Will she call the police? Will I get in trouble?" She collapsed on the bed, resting her head on the pillow. Kaoru felt the color return to his cheeks. There was a girl laying on his bed.

"No way. We'll make sure you're alright, no matter what. You're not going back there. I won't give her another chance to hurt you." He sat on the edge of the bed.

"Thanks Kaoru. You're amazing." He felt his heart skip a beat. He was amazing. She snuggled down farther into the bed. "Is this your bed? It smells like you."

"Yeah" he answered.

"Oh… where am I staying? I don't want to put you out" she asked, looking up at him with sleepy eyes.

"You can stay here. You're tired."

"What about you?"

"I'll stay with Hikaru in his room."

"You boys really are close, aren't you?"

"Yeah. We've been together since birth. We've never really been apart."

"That's so sweet. I can tell how much you love each other." She smiled at him sleepily.

"I'm going to go and let you rest, alright?" he asked. He didn't really want to leave her, but he wanted to respect her privacy.

"No… don't go." She grabbed the back of his shirt as he moved to stand up. "Talking to you helps."

"Okay. Okay Katsumi I'll stay." She wrapped her arms around him, hugging him once again. Her actions pulled him farther on the bed. Before he knew it he was laying down with her.

"Tell me more about you and Hikaru. I don't really know much about you." She rested her head on his shoulder, settling between his arm and his body, allowing his arm to wrap around her. He could feel the length of her body pressed against him. He gulped, trying to focus on what she was saying instead of how good she felt.

"Sure. We've always been together, but nobody could ever tell us apart. We always saw the world as black and white, us and everybody else. We lived in our own separate world. We were always stuck between wanting to be told apart and not wanting to be told apart. We used to be pretty mean. I think what we really wanted was a person who could tell us apart without us having to try. The first person who could ever tell us apart was Haruhi. For the first time, our world expanded to include someone besides ourselves. And now my world has expanded again. I think Hikaru's just hesitant. No one's ever gotten close to just one of us before. I think he's worried he'll lose me." Kaoru sighed. It felt good to talk to someone about all this. He could talk to Haruhi about it he supposed, but he was never alone with her.

"I don't think it's that hard to tell you apart. You boys are very different." Katsumi felt her eyes begin to droop. She wasn't going to last much longer. Cuddling with Kaoru was very therapeutic. She'd never lain like this with anyone before, but it seemed so natural with him.

"You seem to be one of the few who think so." Kaoru glanced down at her. Her eyes were closed and her breathing was even. She must've fallen asleep. He tried to disentangle himself from her but she groaned, pulling him closer. She didn't want him to leave.

"Sorry Hikaru" he whispered. "But it looks like I'm needed here." He reached up and flicked the light switch above the bed and settled down for the night.

Hikaru bolted up in bed and checked the time. What time was it? Rubbing his eyes, he checked his alarm clock. 3 AM. He reached for Kaoru but found only empty sheets. Where was he? No... He couldn't be.

He opened the door joining their two rooms and peeked in. Kaoru was cuddled against Katsumi, holding her in his arms. They were both breathing evenly, totally asleep. Kaoru had a smile on his face. Hikaru felt his face heat with anger. She was stealing Kaoru from him! He had to come up with a plan… and fast.

"Your mom did WHAT?!" Haruhi asked. Katsumi told her what her mom had said after the host club had finished for the day. They hadn't gotten any chance to talk earlier, they were both too busy. Haruhi had almost been late to class, and Katsumi spent all her time at the host club picking up and washing dishes. Haruhi had been eyeing her all day, impatient to ask her about what happened to her eye.

"Yeah" Katsumi sighed. "I'm really grateful to Kaoru. He took really good care of me."

"You know… you can stay with my dad and I if you want" Haruhi offered.

"No way. She's staying with us!" Kaoru insisted. "We've got security in case her mom shows up. Plus she'd know that Katsumi would go to you."

"You have a point." Haruhi thought it over. "Are you sure you're fine with this Katsumi?"

"Yeah." She smiled at her friend. "They're taking really good care of me. You don't have to worry about it. They even gave me clothes from their mom's fall line. I left all my clothes at home."

"Well you do look nice." Katsumi was wearing a knee length navy blue dress that hugged her figure.

"I know it's a little much, but it was about the most modest thing in the collection. I'm hoping I can manage to sneak home and grab my old clothes soon." Katsumi shrugged. Kaoru's eyes glanced her up and down. That dress looked like it was made for her. He had also noticed that Kyouya senpai and Mori senpai couldn't take their eyes off her either. He smirked to himself. Neither of them were in bed with her last night and he was, even though nothing happened. Maybe Sunday he'd take her shopping for some clothes that were more her style. That dress looked nice, but even he could admit that it wasn't her.

"You ready?" Mori senpai asked Katsumi.

"Oh right! I totally forgot! I'm supposed to practice with you today. Do you think you have a uniform I could borrow? I don't have a martial arts uniform with me."

"Sure. No problem." Mori wondered if she also forgot about her dinner with Kyouya tomorrow or if he was just forgettable.

Katsumi hopped up from the table. "Bye Haurhi, I'll see you later tonight Kaoru."

She followed Mori out to his car. Mori was silent the whole way. Katsumi didn't mind; the silence wasn't uncomfortable. In fact it was rather pleasant. She didn't feel like she needed to say anything. Mori, on the other hand, was freaking out. 'What do I say? What do I say?'

"You look nice" he said simply, cursing his inability to tell her how beautiful she really was.

"Oh thanks! Kaoru gave this to me. It's from his mom's fall collection." Kaoru was putting the moves on her too now? He was going to have to step up his game.

"Heading for home, sir?" His driver asked as they approached, opening the door for them.

"Yeah"

Katsumi was happy that Mori's family didn't have him take a limo to school. It was just a nice black car. Mori climbed into the backseat first, with Katsumi following him. Mori blushed. They were so close they were almost touching.

"So will anybody else be practicing at the dojo with us Mori senpai?" Katsumi asked him.

"No" he shook his head. "It's Friday. Only I practice on Friday." He hoped that was okay with her. The thought hadn't occurred to him that she might not feel safe if they were alone.

"You seem really dedicated. I admire that about you. You seem to give yourself 100% to whatever you do, like taking care of Hani senpai." Mori blushed once again. That was quite a compliment.

"I try" he simply responded.

"I'm glad we'll be practicing alone. That means no one will get in our way. I hope you know I'm not going to let you beat me." She arched an eyebrow competitively at him.

Mori felt a twinge in his stomach and a stirring in his pants. Alone… with her. He gulped. He closed his eyes for a second, trying to clear his mind. If he was going to give his all during their match, he'd need a focused mind.

"So how long have you been practicing Kendo Mori senpai?" Katsumi asked.

"As long as I can remember" he answered.

"You must be pretty good by now, huh?"

"Well I… was the national Kendo champion a few years ago" he whispered, embarrassed.

"Oh wow." Katsumi looked up at him with big eyes, obviously impressed. "Then I bet my beating you was just a fluke. I'm sure you'll kick my ass this time." The car slowed to a stop and after a moment the door opened. She stepped out of the car and her mouth fell open. Mori's home was beautiful. It was decorated in traditional Japanese style. Trees covered the ground, and a little ways up a small stoned path was a pond with koi fish.

"Your home is beautiful" Katsumi stated as Mori climbed out of the car.

"Hnn" he said in agreement. "The dojo is this way." He nodded to a small building on the left side of the property.

Katsumi began following him, but paused by the koi pond, watching the fish twist and tangle around each other in a hypnotic pattern. After a few steps Mori realized she wasn't behind him any longer. He doubled back along the path to find her staring at the fish.

"Oh, Mori senpai I'm sorry. I just got caught up watching the fish."

"It's alright" he smiled, watching her, his lips softly turning upwards.

"I love animals" she told him. "Fish have this beautiful elegance to them. The grace with which they move…" Mori was surprised by the depth to her. She not only like animals, she appreciated their beautiful subtlety. The koi pond was the favorite part of his yard too. During the summer he'd sit by the pond for hours, watching the fish move. They stood there for a while, neither saying anything.

"Oh I'm sorry senpai, I'm here to practice with you, not stare at your fish. Let's get going to the dojo." Breaking her gaze away from the fish, she grinned at him.

Once inside the dojo, he handed her a martial arts uniform. "Changing room is that way."

"Thanks Mori senpai! I'll be right back." He watched her retreating figure until the door to the changing room closed behind her. He took his head in his hands. Man she had his blood boiling. He had to get it together before their fight. He pinched the bridge of his nose for a second, trying to gather his thoughts before going to change.

Fifteen minutes later Katsumi emerged from the changing room, her long brown hair tied back in a braid. A moment later Mori appeared from another changing room across the dojo. Katsumi glanced him over. The uniform definitely suited him.

"You ready?" she asked, moving into fighting stance.

"Hnn" Mori shifted into fighting stance as well. How was he going to beat her? She lunged at him, and he dodged her kick. He retaliated with a punch of his own but she blocked him. She tried another kick to the side, but he grabbed her foot, using it to push her back. She landed on her ass. She was surprised by his move. Jumping up, she ducked, trying to trip him. He wasn't able to dodge fully and she caught his ankle. Instead of falling back, he fell forward. Damn, he wasn't moving as quickly as he normally did. Her presence was still clouding his mind. He managed to brace himself on his hands and knees, but she ended up pinned beneath him.

Mori turned red when he realized the position they were in. It was very intimate. She didn't look disgusted and she made no move to push him off her, though she did look pretty startled. Katsumi glanced up at Mori senpai, trying to process what just happened. Her eyes met his, and he turned an even deeper shade of red. She felt her cheeks color as well.

"Uh… Mori senpai?" she asked, her eyes not leaving his. Neither of them had made any sort of attempt to move.

"Takashi" he said.

"What?"

"My given name is Takashi."

"Well everybody except Hani senpai calls you Mori… I just figured that's what all your friends called you." Katsumi was confused. Did he want her to call him something different?

"Mitsukuni is my only real friend. Now you are too." She blushed even darker. He was so sweet.

"Alright… Takashi senapi." He smiled at her, a real smile, one that took up half his face. She'd never seen him smile like that before. It didn't exactly fit with his normal strong and silent demeanor. They stayed like that a moment more, neither of them saying anything, neither quite sure what to do. She could feel Takashi senpai's breath on her face. It was the second time she ever wondered what it would be like to kiss someone. The first time was this morning when she woke up in Kaoru's arms while he was still asleep. What were these boys doing to her?

"Um… Takashi senpai?"

"Yeah?"

"You're still on top of me."

"Oh… I… right… sorry." He quickly backed off her, getting up and rubbing the back of his neck. Katsumi climbed up after a moment. She laughed. Was she laughing at him?

"Well that was the most interesting fight I've had in a long time."

"Me too. Katsumi… your eye?" he asked. He'd been wanting to ask her about it all day, but he wasn't sure how to. Now that she acknowledged their friendship, he didn't feel so bad.

"Oh" her hands went up to gently touch the dark bruise around her eye. "My… mother. There've been some nasty rumors going around about me from my old school. None of them are true… but my mom caught wind of them. She was drunk when she came home last night and… well… she took her anger out on me."

"That's not right" Takashi said. No wonder she was staying with Hikaru and Kaoru.

"Well… I'm handling it." She gave him a smile, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.

"If you need help… I'm here" he offered.

"Thanks Takashi senpai." She took his hand in hers and gave it a light squeeze before releasing it. He felt his heart squeeze at the same time. "I should probably be getting back, it's starting to get dark out there."

"Right. My driver will take you home."

"Takashi senpai, really, thanks." She got up on her tip toes and kissed his cheek. "Can we do this again? The practice is really good for me."

"Next week, same time?" he offered.

"Sure, that sounds good. Let's make this a regular thing. Can I keep the uniform?" she asked, giving him a smile.

"Sure" he returned her smile, his normal soft upturn of the mouth.

"Alright Takashi senpai, I'll see you on Monday!" She gave him a wave as she walked out of the dojo. He watched her go, and after she left he raised his hand to touch his cheek where she kissed him. Some of his guests had tried to kiss him before but he'd always rebuffed them. He could still feel where her lips made contact with his skin, as if she had branded him. This had gone even better than he he'd hoped. She even said she wanted to do this again next week. Maybe he stood even a ghost of a chance.


	4. Chapter 4

Katsumi stood in front of a full length mirror in Kaoru's room, trying to figure out how she felt about the dress that Kyouya senpai had sent over for their date. The dress was beautiful. It was a strapless floor length dress made of black silk. She was surprised that the dress was so formfitting and still so comfortable. There was a slit on the right side that went all the way up to the top of her thigh, revealing her whole leg. This dress was definitely a little bit over the top for her, but at least it was black.

"You look amazing!" Kaoru remarked, circling around her to get a better look. Kyouya senpai had also sent over a pair of black heels and a necklace that Katsumi was sure was diamonds and sapphires. It must've cost a fortune.

"That does look awesome on you" Hikaru remarked from the other side of the room. "Kyouya senpai has quite an eye." He was leaning in the doorway that connected his room to Kaoru's.

"Oh, thanks Hikaru." She gave him a wide smile. She was beginning to realize that Hikaru really didn't like her. She figured that he thought that she was getting between her and Kaoru. Biting her lip, she tried to think of a way she could win Hikaru over. She definitely didn't want to cause a rift between the two brothers. "I'm just not sure what to do with my hair."

"I have an idea" he said, approaching her. "What if we made your hair into a braid crown?"

"A what now?" Katsumi turned to face him.

"A braid crown. We would create a braid on the side of your head and then wrap it around the top of your head, like a crown." Hikaru's hands deftly moved through her hair, trying to show her a little bit of what it would look like.

"Yeah, that sounds nice. But I wouldn't know how to make it."

"I do. Kaoru and I help Mom style her models for her shows all the time. She's trying to train us to be fashion designers." Katsumi was surprised Hikaru was being so nice to her. Maybe he figured that if her date with Kyouya senpai went well, that she'd leave Kaoru alone. Staring at herself in the mirror, Katsumi wondered what Kyouya senpai had planned that required this type of attire.

"Yeah, okay. Go ahead and work your magic" she said.

"Kaoru, will you grab me a chair, and some bobby pins? We'll definitely need some."

"Yeah, sure, no problem."

"Thanks Hikaru, I really appreciate this" she said, smiling up at him after Kaoru had left.

"It's no problem." Looking up into his eyes, she couldn't quite read his expression. He was keeping himself carefully guarded.

"I know you're jealous of me. You don't have to be. I'm not trying to take Kaoru away from you. You guys share something special, and I'd never want to ruin that. I just want to borrow him every once and a while." She decided the safest method was to open up and tell him how she felt, rather than just beat around the bush.

"But he wants to be with you more than he wants to be with me!" Hikaru snapped, losing his carefully concealed nonchalance.

"No he doesn't. Kaoru loves you. He's my friend, but you're his brother, his twin. You're two parts of a whole. Though you are complete people on your own, you two come together to create an entirely different whole. I could never completely take Kaoru from you, even if I tried. And I never would. Both of you would be incomplete." Hikaru was a little taken back by her. His mind flashed back to the events of this past summer. He'd felt this same jealousy before, when he had to learn to share Haruhi with her old friend Arai. He'd known something like this would come one day, he just didn't think he'd have to learn to share Kaoru so soon.

"Hey, I'm back with the chair" Kaoru said, walking through the door, lugging the chair behind him. He glanced from Hikaru to Katsumi, then back to Hikaru. Something had happened while he was gone. "What's up guys?" he asked.

"Nothing. Just talking" Hikaru said flatly. "Now get that chair over here so I can fix her hair before Kyouya senpai shows up." Kaoru's brow furrowed in confusion for a moment before he moved the chair in front of the mirror. If it was important then Katsumi or Hikaru would tell him later.

"Now hold still" Hikaru ordered.

A half hour later the doorbell rang. Katsumi took a deep breath. Was she ready for this?

"Hey, it'll be fine" Kaoru offered, silently trying to hold in his own jealousy.

"Yeah I doubt he'll try anything" Hikaru said.

"Oh I don't think he will. Haruhi told me that he's really a nice guy deep down. I would tend to believe her. I'm just hoping he'll let his walls down without me having to force my way through his facades."

"Come on, don't want to keep the Shadow King waiting!" The twins said in unison, pushing her out of Kaoru's room and down the hall.

"Have fun!" Kaoru yelled.

"Bye bye now!" Hikaru exclaimed. Katsumi turned around to say something to them, but they were gone. Sighing she nodded to the butler, who opened the door.

"Good evening Katsumi" Kyouya senpai said, smiling smoothly at her. "That dress looks marvelous on you."

"Yeah, you chose really well. The necklace is too much though. I can't accept it." Katsumi thought that he had known that buying fancy things wouldn't win points with her.

"You can and you will. It's an Otori family heirloom. I didn't spend any money on it, I promise you" Kyouya insisted.

"An heirloom?" Katsumi's hand went up to brush the necklace around her neck. Why would he give her something so precious to his family?

"Are you ready to go?" Kyouya senpai asked her.

"Mhm." She nodded. Kyouya offered her his arm, and she gently took it. He handed her into the car before taking the seat next to her. "So where are we going senpai?" She had to admit that she'd been curious all day, ever since her dress showed up on the Hitachiin's doorstep.

"Dinner. And drop the senpai. Just call me Kyouya."

"Okay Kyouya, where are we going to dinner?"

"You are a persistent one aren't you? Don't worry, I have it all planned."

Katsumi grumbled, leaning back against her seat in the car and crossing her arms.

"Oh come now, I can't surprise you?" Kyouya shifted in his seat so he was facing her.

"I don't really like surprises, especially when I know they're coming" Katsumi pouted.

"Well you're just going to have to deal with it. You'll enjoy this surprise, trust me." She was really curious now. What could he be planning? "I don't want to talk about my plans though, I want to talk about you."

"What about me do you want to know?" He was treating her like one of his guests, making everything about her and not about him. Maybe she could change that up a bit.

"Well for starters I want to know what you think about me." She was surprised by his line of questioning. Why did he care what she thought?

"Well, I think you're determined. You follow after the things you want, no matter what."

"You don't have to be nice, you know. I want to know what you really think about me."

She raised her eyebrows at him. Alright, he asked for it. "I think you hide behind facades so you can manipulate others. You want to appear detached. You play games with people as your pieces, not caring who you hurt. You may be a nice guy deep down, but you're desperate to hide that from everyone around you. You put up walls to keep people from knowing the real you. If you want a queen, she has to know her king and the moves he's going to make. If you want someone like me, you have to let them in, let them know you, not just know them from the inside out."

Kyouya sat there for a moment, absorbing her words. He did want to appear detached so he could change things to his advantage. He definitely tended to manipulate others to get his way, hiding his kind side. He thought it made him weak. His walls were nearly impenetrable, so much so that hardly anyone ever saw that he put them up. He took great pride in that. He believed that he could see through any façade, but that no one could see through his. His mind flashed back to when Tamaki called him out giving up on his dream to be his family's heir and to when Haurhi called him out on being a nice guy. Katsumi was only the third person to see right through him. His normal facades wouldn't work with her.

He had been really nervous before this date, pacing his room trying to figure out how he could win her over. He'd come to the conclusion that he would have to let her in, to let her see the real him or he would lose her forever. He had to make an investment. He couldn't stay distant.

Kyouya took a deep breath before answering. "You're right. About all of it."

"Well duh. That's all pretty obvious. That's part of why I didn't want to go out with you. I knew you wouldn't let me in, you wouldn't let your walls down. I want to see the nice guy Kyouya, not the mask you put on for everybody else."

"Sure I'll let my walls down. You put it nicely, if I want you as a queen, I have to let you know me and the moves I'm going to make." Katsumi looked at him surprised. Did he really mean that? "So, what do you want to know?"

"Well for starters you can tell me about your family. I know next to nothing about you."

"I have two older brothers and an older sister." Kyouya began.

"What're they like?" Katsumi asked him, genuinely curious.

"Fuyumi cares very deeply about me. She's always trying to help me, even when I don't need it. My brothers are rather remarkable. My eldest brother has already graduated from medical school and is assisting my father at one of our hospitals. He's training to take over as the family patriarch. My other brother has finished his medical degree and is studying business so he can assist my older brother." Katsumi raised her eyebrow. This was all very rehearsed, except for the part about his sister. He seemed genuinely fond of her.

"I thought you wanted to be your family's patriarch."

"That's not possible. I am the third son. I have two brothers ahead of me. I accepted my position long ago." He was still keeping his distance from her. She frowned.

"How does that make you feel? That must be frustrating. What are you planning on doing if you don't run your family's business?"

Kyouya thought for a moment before replying. This was his chance. She was giving him an opportunity to open himself up and really talk about what his plans were.

"It's very frustrating" he began. "To be honest, I'm determined to become the patriarch of my family. I think I'm better suited to the job than either of my brothers. My father… he's constantly dangling the company in front of my face, like he's taunting me with it, taunting me with the fact that I'll never have it. I get lectured for accomplishing the same things my brothers did, as if that wasn't enough. He calls it 'standing in their shadow'." He clenched his hands on his lap. "I don't know what more I can do to gain his approval. I'm not sure what he wants from me."

Katsumi looked up at Kyouya. She could see the rage dancing behind his eyes, the anger at never being good enough. He was baring himself to her, showing her part of the person he really was. She rested her hand on her arm.

"From what I've seen of you, you're pretty remarkable. You're the top of your class, right?"

"Yes but according to my father that's not enough" Kyouya growled. "My brothers both did that before me."

"I don't know what to tell you" Katsumi said softly. "I want to tell you to not worry about what he thinks and just go for what makes you happy, but if you want to be your family's patriarch, you'll need his approval. I think you can do it though. Just don't give up." She suddenly had a realization. "What about me? I doubt your father would want you to have anything to do with a commoner like me."

"You are the one thing I am willing to defy him for." Kyouya's eyes met hers, a definite softness present in them.

"So tell me a little bit about your father" Katsumi probed. She was curious about this mysterious man that had Kyouya running ragged just to please him.

"He's egocentric… much like myself. Everything is driven by what he has to gain in any given situation. Part of my job as his son is to uphold his reputation. He puts a lot of stock in my brothers, but insists it will take more than my brother's accomplishments for me to impress him. He's logic driven, much like myself. I can't remember the last time he was ever emotional." Kyouya paused. It felt strange talking about his father like this. He'd never said a word against him in his life, and now he was telling this girl how much he disliked him, parading his flaws around for her to see.

"I know what it's like to have a distant and demanding parent. My mother…" she touched her bruised eye.

"She did this to you?" Kyouya asked. "I had been wondering…" He gently took her chin in his hand, examining the bruise. "So she's why you're with the twins."

"She said the rumors harmed her reputation. She didn't believe me when I told her they weren't true."

"That sounds like something my father would say."

"You know, you're obviously not as logic driven as your father is. If you were, you wouldn't have chosen me." She smiled up at him. His hand still hadn't moved from her chin. "Unless I'm just a toy to you."

"That's an interesting notion, in its own way. I can guarantee you, you're no toy. If I wanted a toy, there are many other women I could've chosen." The silence that followed was filled with tension. Kyouya's eyes stayed on her lips for a moment before leaning in. Was he going to kiss her? Her heart rate sped up and the world slowed down around her as his nose gently brushed hers…

"Master, we are here" the driver stated, opening the door. Kyouya gently backed away from Katsumi, climbing out of the car before helping her out.

"Kyouya… where are we?" Katsumi was confused. It was dark all around her and she couldn't see. She felt Kyouya's hand as he linked their fingers.

"Look up Katsumi." She gasped. The lack of light around her made the stars stand out against the night sky. There were so many, she'd never seen this many stars before. They took up the entire sky.

"It's beautiful" she whispered.

"I thought you'd enjoy this. See that group of stars over there? The three in a straight line?" He raised their linked hands so she'd know where he was talking about. "That's Orion's belt. The Big Dipper is over there. You can actually see the Milky Way here, see how there's a cloud behind those stars?"

"Kyouya this is amazing." She squeezed his hand. She hadn't thought that he would put together something like this. She had expected a fancy dinner at an expensive restaurant… not dinner under the stars.

"You can turn up the lights now" Kyouya said to no one in particular. Katsumi blinked at the sudden burst of light. They were out in a grassy field, surrounded by torches. They were lit one by one, illuminating more and more of the field. In the center there was a small table and two chairs. Two candles sat on the table, which was covered in a pristine white table cloth.

"Here's your seat." Kyouya led her over to the table, pulling out her chair for her to sit down. She sat, watching him move to the other side of the table and sit down. "I thought we would begin with a light salad. You look surprised. Was this not what you expected?"

"To be honest, no. I expected you to take me to a fancy, expensive restaurant."

"I figured that wouldn't appeal to you" Kyouya stated. "I wanted to go with something that you would always remember, something special. Throwing my money around wouldn't be special. That wouldn't take any effort."

A butler came over and set two salads in front of them before scurrying off into the darkness. The salad was beautifully arranged, definitely made by a professional chef. Picking up her fork she speared some of the lettuce and took a bite. Man… whatever dressing this chef used was amazing.

Kyouya surprised her. She watched him put a bite of salad in his mouth, chewing carefully. He had realized that she wanted experiences, not gifts. Throwing his money around wasn't going to get him anywhere with her. He even opened himself up to her, talking about his family and his father. He really was after her because he wanted to be with her.

"Will you tell me a little bit about your family business? I'm afraid I don't know much about it" Katsumi probed.

"My family mainly deals in hospital management. We employ a great number of doctors and nurses. We also own factories that create medical supplies and operate some resorts, for people who want a vacation but can't afford to get away."

"I know you want to be your family's patriarch, but is running hospitals really what you want to do with the rest of your life? You didn't answer my earlier question, what are you planning on doing if you don't head your family's business? What would your dream job be… if you could pick anything?"

Kyouya sat there dumbfounded for a moment. That's not anything he'd ever considered. He was so focused on his goal to become patriarch that he hadn't ever considered failure. What would he like to do if he didn't work in the medical field? "I honestly don't know. I never really considered failure."

"Good. I wouldn't want a king that was unsure of his moves." Kyouya smirked at her. It was a trick question. "What about you Katsumi? What career are you planning on going for?"

"I've considered all kinds of jobs. I wanted to be a veterinarian for a while, but I don't think I could handle watching animals die. I've thought about being a psychologist, or a neurologist or neurosurgeon."

"Our hospitals can always use more qualified neurosurgeons" Kyouya remarked. Katsumi picked up on the hint. If she wanted to be with him, that would be the best job choice. She wasn't even sure that she wanted to be with him. This was nice though. She was enjoying her time with him. She thought back to earlier in the car when he almost kissed her. Had she wanted him to? She watched him eat for the moment. His manners were impeccable. He chewed every bite delicately, never dropping anything. The bites were always the perfect size. Yes, she decided, watching him dab his mouth with a napkin. Yes, she did want him to kiss her.

"Do you like your salad, Katsumi?" Kyouya asked her.

"It's delicious. Your chef did an excellent job." Katsumi pierced the last of her lettuce, popping it in her mouth.

"Yes, I did, didn't I?" Kyouya smirked knowlingly at her.

"You made all this?!" Katsumi exclaimed.

"Well, my chef did make the meal, but I helped. I figured you would like it better if I made it." She looked at him wide eyed. She couldn't believe that he stooped to making his own food for her.

"You really have thought of everything, haven't you?"

"I wanted to make a good impression on you. I told you I would impress you." Katsumi laughed.

"That you did. That you did." The next course came out after a moment. The butler lifted the lid on their meals, revealing pork chops served over rice. The meal was simple, yet elegant. Katsumi cut her pork, tasting a small piece of it. It was juicy and tender, cooked perfectly.

"This is delicious Kyouya! Did Haruhi tell you I love pork?" Katsumi accused.

"She may have mentioned it, once I asked." He smiled at her. He really was trying. No one had ever done this much for her before.

"Kyouya, what would your dream date be? What could we do together that would be the most fun for you? I feel like this is all about me. Next time we should do something tailored to your interests."

Kyouya had to think for a minute. He'd never considered that before either. His mind focused on the words "next time". Looks like he had impressed her after all, enough to go out with him again. She obviously wanted him to open up to her again, share his interests with her. It would be the first time he ever let someone in on his interests.

"Next time I will take you to a museum. Perhaps the Tokyo National Museum. Or the National Museum of Nature and Science. Then I'll take you to dinner at my favorite sushi restaurant. It is quite expensive, but I think you'll enjoy it."

"Constantly searching for knowledge, aren't you?" Katsumi teased him. Actually that date sounded fun. "Am I going to have to dress up for this one?"

"Oh yes, I love learning new things. What do you think I'm constantly writing in my black book?" He raised his eyebrow at her. "And no, I don't think you'll have to dress up. Just wear something nice."

"Why did I have to dress like this for a dinner under the stars?" Katsumi wondered aloud.

"Because I wanted you to." He smiled at her, and she laughed. She was surprised by how much she was enjoying her evening with him. He wasn't quite the Shadow King he seemed to be, at least not on the inside. And every Shadow King needs a Shadow Queen. "What about you Katsumi? After the museum where should I take you next?"

Planning two dates into the future, huh? He really was serious. "Maybe the zoo. I did tell you that I love animals. I like beaches too, but we're a ways from the nearest one."

"My family has a private beach in Okinawa. Maybe sometime I'll take you there."

"That would be a total blast. I would love that." She gave him a large smile and he felt the gears turn in his head. Perhaps after he was certain she'd have him… after he was certain she'd be his Shadow Queen. Then there was the matter of his father. That was one problem he wasn't entirely sure how to handle.

The empty dinner dishes where whisked away and a large plate of chocolate strawberries was set down in front of them. Katsumi chuckled.

"You're really outdoing yourself. My favorite dessert too?"

"Hand dipped by me of course." Kyouya smirked. "Have I impressed you yet?"

"More than impressed me. I can't believe you did all this for me."

"You're worth it. All of it." His eyes met hers and she could see the truth behind them. "I knew the moment I met you that I wanted you. You're unlike every woman I've ever met. You're not some docile heiress that does what she's told with no questions. You're loud, you speak your mind, you're stubborn, you're an amazing martial artist, and most importantly you think for yourself. All that and more is what makes you beautiful."

Katsumi felt herself choke up. She ducked her head to hide the tears that were threatening to fall. No one had ever said anything like that to her before. He meant it, she could tell. She'd never met anyone like him either. He was so complex. Around her he tried to drop his walls. It would take him a while, but she was convinced he could do it. The fact that he was trying meant everything to her.

"Here Kyouya" Katsumi offered, holding up a strawberry after taking a moment to collect herself. "Open wide."

"Oh you're going to feed me?" Kyouya asked with a smirk before opening his mouth. He leaned forward, taking a decent size bite. Katsumi giggled.

"Come here, you've got chocolate on your face." She gently wiped his face off with her napkin. After she was finished Kyouya caught her hand, placing a gentle kiss on her wrist. Katsumi felt her pulse spike. It was a very subtle yet very romantic gesture. He released her hand, allowing her to draw it back to her lap.

"Shall we look at the stars some more?" he asked her, standing up from the table and offering her his hand.

"Yeah, I'd really like that." Katsumi smiled at him, placing her hand in his. She felt the warmth of his skin against hers. Kyouya nodded his head to their left and the torches began to go out. Staring up, Katsumi watched as she could see more and more stars. It really was beautiful out here. Kyouya took his hand out of hers, sliding off his jacket and placing it on her shoulders. Grabbing the collar she pulled it closer to her, taking in his scent and feeling the warm satin against her skin. She hadn't even realized how cold she was.

Katsumi waited for Kyouya to grab her hand again, but that never happened. She felt a pressure on the small of her back, his hand pulling her to him. His body felt good against hers, strong, warm and soft. Running a finger along her jawline, Kyouya tilted her head up. Her heart pounded in her chest and butterflies danced in her stomach. Was he going to kiss her?

Running his nose along the length of hers, Kyouya felt his heart beating a million miles a minute. His cool mask was breaking, but he honestly didn't care. He'd never been this nervous in his life. Her breath danced on his lips, hot and intoxicating. Not able to stand waiting another minute, he pressed his lips to hers.

Resting her hands on his chest, Katsumi kissed him back. He tasted like strawberries and chocolate, mixed with something musky and sweet that she couldn't identify. He pressed his lips to hers again and again, scrambling her mind. Holding her close, Kyouya ran his tongue along her lower lip before gently moving away, placing another soft kiss on her forehead.

'I'm not letting him get away that easy' Katsumi thought, moving her hand to the back of his neck. She pulled his head down, kissing him again. They lost themselves in each other, holding each other close, only ever pausing to breathe.

'I could kiss her forever' Kyouya thought. There was no way he was ever letting her go now, now that he got a taste. She was all heat and passion, even these soft simple kisses had his blood boiling.

Katsumi was surprised by his gentleness. He wasn't trying to push her to go farther; he was just reveling in her kisses, enjoying everything she was giving him. Kyouya was definitely a gentleman. It was clear she was affecting him, but he was a master at holding himself in line. Pressing her lips to his again, she pulled him in closer. It might be fun to be a Shadow Queen.

Kaoru lay in bed. It was late, why wasn't she back yet? What time was it anyway? He picked up his phone, clicking a button on the side to light up the screen. It was midnight. What the hell were the two of them doing out there? He debated calling her, but he sighed, setting his phone on his nightstand. He'd ask her all about it later when she got home, whenever that would be.


	5. Chapter 5

Katsumi groaned and rolled over in bed. Her phone was ringing. Bringing her hands up to her face, she rubbed her eyes. Her brow furrowed. Something was wrong. Grabbing a pillow, she held it up to her face. It didn't smell like Kaoru, it smelled like…

"Oh you're up. Good morning." Her eyes snapped open. Kyouya was sitting on the foot of the bed, a towel around his shoulders. Katsumi blushed. He was shirtless, obviously fresh out of the shower. Wait, why wasn't she back at Hikaru and Kaoru's? Last night… what happened last night? Her sleep fogged brain was struggling to remember. Slowly it came back to her. The field, the stars, the dinner, the kissing… what happened after? She remembered climbing in the car with him to head home, resting her head on his shoulder… and that's where it went blank. Did he drug her? Did they… oh God…

"Don't worry, nothing happened last night. You just fell asleep on the drive home. I didn't want to wake you, so I took you home with me." Katsumi slipped out from under the covers. She was still wearing her dress from the night before. Breathing a sigh of relief, she sat next to Kyouya on the end of the bed. "To be honest I just didn't want to let you go." He turned and smiled at her, leaning down to kiss her forehead. Katsumi felt her heart pound in her chest.

"Did you sleep up here with me?" she asked, enjoying the thought of the two of them cuddling in bed together.

"No, I slept on my couch downstairs. I didn't think being in a bed with you after our first date was appropriate."

"You're probably right…" she whispered. "I didn't mean to put you out of your bed. You should've taken me back to Hikaru and Kaoru's."

"It was 1 in the morning by the time we got back to town, too late for me to take you back."

"We were really out that late? It didn't seem like we were out that long."

"You know what they say, time flies when you're having fun." Kyouya smiled at her again, leaning in slowly to place another kiss on her lips. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him to her. His arms rested on her back, holding her firmly against him. His tongue swept across her lower lip, asking for entrance. Katsumi parted her lips, inviting him inside. Sliding his tongue forward into her mouth his tongue brushed hers and…

Katsumi's phone rang. Groaning she disentangled herself from Kyouya's embrace, flipping it open.

"Hello?"

"What the hell Katsumi? Where are you?" Kaoru yelled. Shit… Kaoru.

"Oh Kaoru… I'm sorry, I didn't meant to worry you. I would've let you know, but we were coming back late and I was asleep…"

"You're at Kyouya senpai's?" Kaoru asked, feeling his heart drop into his stomach. The date must've gone really well if she spent the night at his house. He felt a little sick to his stomach. Did they…? No, they couldn't have.

"Yeah I just woke up. Everything's fine Kaoru, no need to worry. I'll be back later, okay?"

"Okay…"

"I'll give you a call when I'm on my way back. See ya later." Snapping her phone shut she turned back to Kyouya. "I should probably clean up since I didn't get to shower last night."

"My bathroom's downstairs. You're more than welcome to it. I'll go grab a dress from my sister's room. It should fit you." He smiled at her, glad that the previous night had gone so well.

"Oh thanks. I'll be back in a little bit, alright?" Kyouya simply nodded, giving her a peck on the lips before she got up off the bed. His eyes followed her as she walked down the stairs from his loft to the main room of his suite.

Sliding the towel off his shoulders, Kyouya lay back on the bed. She had been here, in his bed. He couldn't believe their date had gone so magnificently, better than he'd dared to hope. They even had two more dates planned and a possible trip to Okinawa in the works. Did this make her his girlfriend? Maybe not yet but it was definitely headed that direction. He was more determined now than ever. He would make her his.

He gently touched his lips with his fingertips. He could almost still feel her there, as if she'd branded his skin with her lips. He heard the shower start in his bathroom downstairs. Briefly he allowed the image of them in the shower together to flit through his mind before he sat up, adjusting his glasses on his face. That could wait for another time. He was nothing if not patient. He would have her, when she was ready.

Kyouya's mind then moved to his competitors Kaoru and Mori senpai. How was he going to guarantee her interest in him and not let her eye wander? Now that he had a taste of what it would like to be with her, he wasn't going to let her be with another man. He would have to get more time alone with her, but when? Tamaki had a meeting with his father tomorrow, so the host club was canceled. That's when he'd take her to the museum. He flipped open his phone. He had some phone calls to make.

Katsumi reached forward and turned off the water, wringing out her hair before stepping out of the shower. Glancing around the bathroom she only found one towel. Picking it up, she dried her face, then her hair. It smelled of Kyouya. He had a pleasant dark musky scent to him. She wrapped the towel around herself, peeking out of the bathroom door. Kyouya said he would have a dress for her.

There was a piece of fabric hanging on the handle of the door. Grabbing it she dashed back inside the bathroom. The dress was black, like most everything else she wore. She doubted Kyouya's sister wore anything like this. He must've ordered it for her while she was in the shower. He moved fast. She slipped the dress over her head, feeling the fabric under her fingertips. Black lace, very fitting for a Shadow Queen. She paused to think for a moment. Was that what she was? Was he her boyfriend now? She bit her lip. Maybe not yet… but if everything continued on the path it was on now… it wouldn't take long. Was this what she wanted? She thought back to their kiss this morning and the way he made her heart race. Yes, this was what she wanted.

She opened the bathroom door revealing Kyouya's living area. She glanced around. Kyouya wasn't anywhere to be found.

"Kyouya?" she called.

"Up here." Glancing up Katsumi saw him leaning over the railing of his loft, smiling down at her. Much to her chagrin, he was no longer shirtless. He wore a grey button up. It really did play up the color of his eyes. "That dress suits you. I'm glad I had one brought in rather than having you wear one of Fuyumi's."

"Black lace for a Shadow Queen? How fitting." She returned his smile, blushing once she realized her words.

"Of course" Kyouya responded, beginning to walk down the stairs from the loft. "A Shadow King must dress his queen appropriately."

"Is that what I am, your queen?" Katsumi raised her eyebrows at him as he approached her.

"Is that what you want to be?" He ran the back of his hand along her jawline.

"Would you have me? I am just a commoner" she asked as he cupped her face in his hands.

"You know I would. I meant everything I said last night." He ran his nose along hers. "Even the part about defying my father."

"Hmmm… I don't know… I don't want you to grow complacent and think that you can stop trying to impress me" Katsumi smirked.

"I never grow complacent… and I will never stop trying to impress you. I can't afford to have my queen taken." He matched her smirk.

"I'll give you my answer after our next date to the museum" Katsumi said, knowing she had to give him an answer.

"I think I can handle the wait. I hope you know I will do everything in my power to make you mine." Kyouya leaned down and pressed his lips to hers, moving his hands from her face to her hips. Katsumi's hands slid up his arms, coming to rest at the back of his neck. It was so easy for her to lose herself in him. He moved one of his hands from her hip to the small of her back, pressing her body to his. She felt so good against him. He never wanted to let her go.

"Kyouya I wanted to ask you…" The door to his suite opened revealing a beautiful woman with long black hair. "Oh… I'm so sorry! I should've knocked." Katsumi turned bright red, attempting to separate herself from Kyouya. He broke their kiss, but his arm was still wrapped tightly around her, holding her against him. This must be his sister, Fuyumi. Katsumi was surprised. He was being openly affectionate with her in front of his family. He really wasn't afraid of what his family would think about her.

"It's no problem Fuyumi. What is it?" Kyouya asked.

"I just wanted to ask you how your date went yesterday. I knew how nervous you were about it. But it seems like it went just fine." Katsumi felt her face heat even more. He had been nervous? He certainly didn't look it last night.

"No need to be embarrassed, Katsumi. This is my sister Fuyumi. Fuyumi, this is Katsumi." Katsumi glanced up at his face. Kyouya didn't look embarrassed at all. The only sign that anything had happened between them was a slight tilt in the way his glasses balanced on the bridge of his nose.

"It's a pleasure to meet you" Katsumi bowed low.

"So this is the girl you were going on about yesterday? She is as beautiful as you told me she was. You two look like you suit each other." Fuyumi smiled wide at her. Katsumi could already tell that she liked her.

"Let's hope Father thinks so. I doubt he would approve of me being with anyone of less than noble blood." Katsumi winced, but Kyouya squeezed her side reassuringly. He didn't mean it as an insult to her; he meant it as an insult to his father.

"So what Kyouya? I know you care a great deal what Father thinks, but you have to do what makes you happy. You look happier than I've seen you in a long time."

"I am, Fuyumi. She is the one thing I am willing to defy Father for. I just hope I don't have to." Katsumi looked up at Kyouya. She could see it written all over his face, he meant everything he said.

"I understand. I'll leave you two alone now. It was nice to meet you Katsumi." Fuyumi gave them one last smile before turning around and walking out the door, closing it behind her.

"You're constantly surprising me." Katsumi turned to face Kyouya.

"What did I do this time?" he asked, raising his eyebrows at her.

"I'm just surprised that you were so openly affectionate with me in front of your sister, especially since I haven't given you my answer yet" Katsumi explained.

"Do you wish that I had behaved differently?" he asked her.

"No… it was a pleasant surprise."

"Good. I told you that I would never stop trying to impress you. I also told you that my family would not keep me away from you." He pulled her in for another kiss, this one very gentle, as if he was trying to show her the depth of his feeling in this one kiss. "Unfortunately I have to take you back now. I have homework that I must do if we're going to go to the museum tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Katsumi asked. That seemed rather soon. He must be eager to see her again.

"Is that alright with you? Club activities have been cancelled since Tamaki has a meeting with his father."

"Yeah that… sounds great. I guess I have some thinking to do before then." She stood there for a moment, just thinking. Did she really have to think about it? She already knew what she was going to tell him. She already knew what she wanted.

"Yes, I suppose you do" he answered simply.

"Actually…" Katsumi started, biting her lip.

"Yes?" Kyouya asked.

"I already know what I'm going to tell you" she admitted.

"Oh?" He raised his eyebrows at her.

"I think you know what I'm going to tell you too." Katsumi blushed, ducking her head.

"So I won you over?" Kyouya grabbed her chin, tilting it up so her eyes were looking into his.

"You just better not stop trying."

"Oh don't worry, I never will." He scooped her in his arms, kissing her passionately. Katsumi's eyes fluttered closed as the heady scent of him filled her nostrils. His hands pressed into her back, holding her tightly to him. Kyouya felt his blood turn to fire as he kissed her. He had never known such passion. He ran his tongue along her lower lip, asking for entrance. Letting out a light moan, her lips parted, meeting his tongue with her own. They tangled together, fighting for dominance. They both thought the same thing, that the other tasted so sweet.

Hands tangling in his hair, Katsumi tried desperately to pull him closer, but there was no longer any space between them. Kyouya grabbed a handful of her hair, breaking their kiss. Forcibly tilting her head back he littered kisses up and down her neck. Her legs turned to jelly. Gently he bit her pulse point. Everywhere he touched her skin burned. Her knees gave out and she fell onto the couch behind her. Neither of them seemed to notice.

Kyouya abandoned her neck, returning his attention to her mouth. Their tongues immediately met, gently caressing each other as if they were dancing. They were laying on the couch now, Kyouya on top of her. One of his legs was between hers, his other foot resting on the floor. His hands were constantly changing positions. His left hand ran up her right leg, coming to rest on the outside of her right thigh and his right hand was caressing her left hip. Katsumi had wrapped herself around his neck, holding on to him as if she couldn't bear to be separated from him.

A moment later they broke their kiss, both of them panting, their foreheads touching.

"How… did we end up on the couch?" Kyouya asked, confused.

Katsumi burst out laughing. "Honestly I'm not sure how we ended up here either. I guess we were just too wrapped up in each other."

"You are intoxicating" Kyouya remarked, running his nose along her neck.

"Kyouya" she pushed gently on his chest.

"You're right. We should take our time. There's no rush. I just find it difficult to keep my head straight when you're around" Kyouya admitted. To be honest, Katsumi felt that way too. It was too easy for her to lose herself in him. Her eyes met his. They were darker than normal, clouded with lust that he was struggling to contain. She was sure her eyes looked the same way. God how she desired to devour him.

Kyouya adjusted his glasses. "So we have the museum date tomorrow, but what about our trip to the zoo, hm?"

"Well when do you want to go?"

"How about this weekend? We can take a picnic."

"That sound nice. I would really enjoy that." Katsumi smiled at him.

"What about our trip to Okinawa?" She bit her lip.

"If it was just the two of us alone, I don't know if I'd be able to keep my hands off you" Katsumi admitted.

"I would have difficulty as well. We'll discuss Okinawa again, after we've decided we're ready to progress farther. I'm not interested in pushing you into something before you're ready. That would be no fun." She didn't think Kyouya, her Shadow King, could be this filled with passion. She wondered if his emotional passion could reach this level to.

"Kyouya… have you ever...?" Katsumi wasn't quite able to spit out the words.

"No, I have not. To be honest, no other girl I've met before has interested me. Can I let you in on a little secret?"

Katsumi nodded. "Yeah, of course."

"I had never even kissed a girl until last night."

"And you chose a commoner. You have such great taste in women" Katsumi teased, sitting up and leaning against him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Yes, I do." Kyouya said seriously. "You know… you could stay here with me. You don't have to go back to the twins."

"I think that would also be dangerous." She smiled up at him. It was clear that he didn't want to be apart from her.

"You're probably right. Maybe it is best that you stay with the twins." She could feel the heat of his body against hers. They fit together as if they were puzzle pieces designed for each other.

"They're taking good care of me."

"Just watch out for Kaoru" Kyouya remarked quietly.

"What about Kaoru? Besides Haruhi he's probably my best friend. He took me in when I had nowhere else to go. I'm grateful to him" Katsumi felt a little bit angry. Why would Kyouya say anything bad about Kaoru?

"He's not a bad person. My concern is him making a move on you."

"He wouldn't do that! He's my friend. He's not interested in me" Katsumi insisted. But she had to wonder. Kaoru helped her without asking for anything in return, he spent that night cuddling with her. She recalled how he spent time with her rather than spend time with Hikaru. Maybe he did feel that way about her… Then was that his only reason for taking her in?

"He's very interested in you Katsumi. Just like I am" Kyouya said.

"Well I'm yours. I promised you that I'd be your Shadow Queen, and there's nothing that I want more." She leaned up and kissed his cheek. "He's just my friend, alright. I do know how to handle myself."

"I trust you."

"Do you really?"

"If a king can't trust his queen, who can he trust?"

They sat there in silence for a moment, Katsumi's head resting on his shoulder. He cherished every moment he had with her, but for now it was time to return her to the arms of the twins. He trusted her; that wasn't the problem. It was Kaoru he didn't trust.

"Unfortunately it's time for me to take you back. I do have to get some work done today, and I'm sure you have work to do as well."

Katsumi sighed. "You're right, but I'm not sure about how much work I'm going to get done. The twins promised to take me shopping for clothes that were more my style. Though I really just want to get my clothes from home."

Hikaru saw the limo pull into the drive from his bedroom. Kyouya got out first before helping Katsumi up. They linked hands as soon as they were out of the limo. The action seemed almost second nature to them, as if they were meant to be connected that way. They paused on the doorstep. They exchanged a few words and Katsumi smiled, a smile that lit up her entire face. Kyouya was smiling too, one of his real smiles. Hikaru had hardly ever seen that smile before. Damn, Kyouya really did get his claws into her. Kaoru was going to be devastated.

Hikaru wasn't sure how he felt about all this. He didn't want her to take Kaoru from him… but he also didn't want his brother hurt. He knew she wasn't out to hurt him. She had confirmed that yesterday. She was probably oblivious to Kaoru's feelings. His mind went back to the conversation they had the morning previously. She spoke of Kaoru like a friend, nothing more. She didn't return his brother's feelings. Hikaru felt a mixture of relief and dread.

He watched as Kyouya leaned in and pressed his lips to Katsumi's. The kiss seemed to go on forever. She seemed to melt into him. Kyouya kissed her forehead and whispered something in her ear before saying goodbye, climbing back into his limo. Hikaru sighed. His brother didn't stand a chance.


	6. Chapter 6

"Kaoru?" Katsumi called, stepping through the front door of the Hitachiin manor. "Hikaru?" Where were those boys? She'd called Kaoru on her way home from Kyouya's. He'd said they still definitely planned on taking her shopping. She'd thought they'd be waiting for her when she got back but they were nowhere to be seen.

"Oh hello there darling!" a feminine voice exclaimed from the hallway. It definitely wasn't either of the twins.

"Hello?" Katsumi replied, more of a question than a greeting.

"You must be that cute commoner girl staying with the boys! They've told me all about you!" A woman came out of the shadows. She looked remarkably like the twins, with her short red hair and slim figure. "My name is Yuzuha Hitachiin. I'm their mother!"

"Oh! Ms. Hitachiin!" Katsumi bowed hastily. "Thank you so much for allowing me to stay here."

"Oh it's not a problem, darling. That dress looks magnificent on you by the way. The boys told me all about what happened with your mother. You're more than welcome here, stay as long as you need. Even longer if you want." Yuzuha smiled widely at her. "It's so nice to have another girl around the house!"

"I don't know how long I'll have to stay. Hopefully I'll figure something out something soon and then I can be out of your way." Katsumi returned her smile.

"Don't worry about it, darling. If your mother remains a problem, you can become my adopted daughter. I've always wanted a girl! It would be a great help to have a model for my women's line. The boys showed me a picture of you in one of my latest designs. It looks perfect on you."

"I can model for you if you want… if that would help. I would do anything to repay you for the kindness you've shown me." The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them. Katsumi was confused, was she just offered a job?

"Oh wonderful! I will make you the biggest thing since Twiggy! I need you all to myself next weekend so I can design you some clothes for the upcoming fashion show at the end of the month. You will be walking the catwalk of course. My boys will be modeling my men's line with you. You three will look marvelous together!" Katsumi felt like she'd been swept up in a whirlwind. A designing session next week? A fashion show at the end of the month? And who was Twiggy?

"Oh hello Mother" Hikaru said as he walked down the hall, Kaoru at his side.

"I'm sorry I haven't introduced you two yet. Mother this is-" Kaoru began.

"My new doll!" Yuzuha exclaimed. "She'll be modeling at the show with you two in two weeks! Now, your mother has to get back to work. Ta ta!" Turning on her heels, Yuzuha walked back down the hall, disappearing into one of the rooms. Katsumi stood there dumbfounded.

"So you're modeling for our mother now?" Hikaru asked her, arching his eyebrow.

"I'm not sure how that happened. She kinda roped me into it." Katsumi shook her head. She felt utterly baffled and more than a bit overwhelmed.

"Well, you're in for it now" Kaoru said. "She'll have you famous."

"Maybe that wouldn't be so bad…" Katsumi thought out loud. Her mind went back to Kyouya's remarks about his father. Maybe if she was a famous model, if she had some status, he would approve of them being together.

"Well are you ready to go Katsumi?" Hikaru asked her.

"Oh you're coming too?" She glanced up at him.

"Well somebody has to make sure you two don't get in any trouble. Kaoru's quite the trouble maker."

"I am not!" Kaoru exclaimed, a slight blush on his cheeks. Damn Hikaru.

"Come on you two" Hikaru said, placing his hands on their shoulders and pushing them towards the door. "The car's out front."

"So where are we even going?" Katsumi asked. She was squished between the two twins in the backseat of a limo. They had been driving for a while now.

"Just somewhere that sells the type of clothes you're interested in" Kaoru responded simply. Her mind flashed back to Kyouya's surprise from the night previous. She was really tired of all these Host Club boys never telling her anything.

"So tell us about your date with Kyouya senpai" Hikaru asked her. "How'd it go?" He was asking to be polite and out of the hope that hearing the details from her mouth might stop Kaoru from chasing her. Even after Hikaru had told him about what he saw on the front porch Kaoru was still adamant that he'd win her over. He even accused Hikaru of making it up to get between them. Hikaru would've been mad, but he thought Kaoru might be lashing out at him because he was hurt. Either way, his brother didn't need him being mean to him right now.

"Oh it went pretty well. He surprised me."

"It must've gone pretty well since you spent the night with him!" Kaoru exclaimed. His tone had a bitter edge to it. Katsumi furrowed her brow. Maybe there was something to Kyouya's theory.

"It was late when we got back. He gave me his bed and he slept on a couch down in his lobby." Kaoru relaxed. Oh, that was all?

"Looks like he gave you the dress too. Kyouya senpai has good taste" Hikaru remarked.

"Black lace for a Shadow Queen. Quite fitting isn't it?" Katsumi smoothed out the lace on her thighs.

Kaoru paled. "Shadow Queen?" he asked. She looked over at him, remembering what Kyouya had told her about Kaoru's feelings. Did he feel that way about her? He looked awfully scared and angry.

"That's what Kyouya's taken to calling me. His queen, his Shadow Queen." Katsumi answered honestly. There was no point in her trying to hide it. He would find out anyway.

"How did he surprise you?" Hikaru asked, trying to change the line of questioning. As much as he wanted Kaoru to stop chasing her, he didn't want his brother totally crushed. Hikaru bit his lip and wished that he'd never started this conversation to begin with. Maybe making him hear everything from her was a little mean.

"He took me out for a dinner under the stars. He made the food we ate too." Katsumi touched the necklace around her neck. Kyouya had insisted that she keep it, a token of his affection. Kaoru felt a ball of dread form in his stomach. She talked about Kyouya as if she were a lovesick school girl. Had he really managed to win her over that fast?

"Sounds romantic" Kaoru snapped sharply.

"Oh it was" Katsumi sighed, pretending not to notice. "He's taking me to the museum and out to sushi tomorrow since we don't have a host club meeting."

"Young masters we are here" the driver said, opening the door to the limo. Hikaru climbed out first, Katsumi following him, leaving Kaoru dumbfounded in the car. How was he ever going to win her over now?

Hikaru held the door open while Katsumi stood dumbstruck in the doorway. "Wow you guys, this is amazing!" she exclaimed. The store was filled with wall to wall black, all of it rather fashionable. There were black lace dresses like the one she was wearing, corset tops, skinny jeans… everything anyone could imagine. Upon closer inspection she realized that it wasn't just black. There was purple and some blue, a little bit of green… Goth heaven.

"Oh hello miss" the lady behind the counter walked up to them. "What can I do for you?"

"She needs a whole closet" Hikaru told the lady, pushing Katsumi towards her.

"Fix her up!" Kaoru demanded, having shaken himself out of his emotional stupor. So what if she was with Kyouya senpai for the time being? He would win her over. How? He winced. Now that he wasn't sure of. He'd come up with a plan eventually. As for right now she needed his friendship and support. He wasn't sure how this business with her mom was going to pan out, but he knew Katsumi would need to face her eventually.

"What about this?" Katsumi stepped out of the fitting room wearing a purple and black corset top with a black mini skirt. Hikaru made a turning motion with his index finger. Turning slowly Katsumi caught her reflection in the mirror. Her figure looked amazing.

"I like this a lot" Hikaru said. "It really flatters your figure. Don't you agree Kaoru?" Kaoru just nodded. "We should pair this with some thigh high socks and combat boots."

"Would the socks stay up?" Katsumi asked. She'd always had a problem with socks.

"We can always get you garters" Hikaru offered. "No one would notice. They would go under the skirt." Kaoru shuddered. Katsumi in garters and stockings…

Walking back into the dressing room and untying the corset, Katsumi glanced around. She had tried on almost all the clothes the boys had picked out for her. There was a huge no pile and a decently sized yes pile. The boys had picked out a few pairs of skinny jeans, some regular jeans, several corset tops, some t shirts, a couple skirts, and some dresses. The only thing left for her to try on is a black jacket with lace trim. She slid it over her shoulders and buttoned the front before stepping out of the dressing room.

"Alright boys this is it, the last piece." Katsumi swept the curtain back and stepped out on the platform.

"The lace trim on the jacket goes really well with that skirt" Kaoru offered.

"I agree with Kaoru. With a wardrobe like this, you'll knock Kyouya senpai's socks off" Hikaru stated. Kaoru glared at him, but Hikaru pretended not to notice. Honestly, dressed like this she'd knock any boy's socks off. Hikaru's mind flitted to Haruhi. Well, maybe Katsumi wouldn't knock his socks off, but just about everybody else's.

"Are you ready to check out now, miss?" The store associate asked them, taking the large pile of clothes they wanted to purchase from the dressing room.

"Well I just need to grab some underwear, then I'll be ready" Katsumi answered.

"You also need some shoes and socks" Hikaru added.

"Just put it all on the Hitachiin tab" Kaoru offered.

The girl's eyes got as huge as saucers at the mention of the Hitachiin name. "Oh, the Hitachiins! Yes sirs, I'll do that for you."

A half hour later the trio walked out of the store with their haul. Katsumi had a whole new wardrobe, underwear, bras, shoes, and socks included.

"Boys I really don't know how I'll be able to pay you back." Katsumi followed Hikaru into the limo for the drive back to the Hitachiin mansion while the driver placed all their bags in the back.

"Don't mention it" Hikaru responded, leaning back in his seat. "You'll be working for our mom now anyway. She'll want her new model to be fashionable. I'd be surprised if you didn't have paparazzi trailing you to school after this latest show of hers."

"Paparazzi? Following me?" Katsumi felt dazed. The idea of sudden fame was a bit too much to handle.

"Of course. Our mom never does anything half way. Like I said earlier, she'll have you famous." Kaoru smiled at her.

Katsumi sat in her seat, drumming her fingertips against her desk. She couldn't focus on a single lesson all day. She had been too busy feeling nervous about her date with Kyouya and what the twins had said about her being famous. At first she hadn't thought too much about it, only considering how the status it would bring her might help in gaining Mr. Otori's approval. However, now she was worried. Would she really be followed by paparazzi? Would she never have privacy again? Honestly it wouldn't surprise her if she didn't. Her mind switched topics. Did she look cute enough for her date? She'd chosen a black corset top and a black mini skirt with black thigh high socks and combat boots. Would Kyouya like it? She hoped so. She caught some of the boys in her class staring at her earlier.

"Katsumi?" She jumped as Haurhi rested her hand on her shoulder. "Class is over."

"Is it?" Katsumi glanced up at the classroom. The instructor was sitting down at the front of the classroom and the students were beginning to file out. Hikaru and Kaoru were sitting on their desks and chatting, seemingly not concerned with packing up their books.

"You've been spacy all day. Is everything alright?" Haruhi asked her.

"Yeah just lots on my mind. A lot happened this weekend."

"Like your date with Kyouya senpai? How'd that go? You never texted me!" Haruhi scolded.

"I never texted you because your phone is usually dead. And the date went really well. He's taking me out again today."

"Oh he is, is he?"

"He's not as shadowy as I had thought. He's quite passionate and sweet."

"He's nice at heart but passionate?" Haruhi asked disbelievingly. "I'll believe that when I see it." Haruhi was so used to seeing Kyouya senpai's distant side. She hadn't imagined that anyone would ever use the word passionate to describe him. Charming perhaps, but never passionate.

"There you are" Kyouya waltzed into the 1A classroom. He placed a kiss on Katsumi's forehead. Haruhi raised her eyebrows. Kyouya was being openly affectionate in public. Hikaru and Kaoru turned their heads just in time to catch it. Kaoru wasn't sure whether his face turned red or white. "I think there's something you should explain to me" Kyouya told her.

"Something I should explain?" Katsumi asked, confused. Kyouya set a newspaper down in front of her.

"Read the bottom of the front page."

HITACHIIN TO PREMIRE NEW MODEL AT FASHION SHOW AT END OF MONTH

There was a large picture of Katsumi in the blue dress she had worn the previous Friday. She suddenly felt a bit queasy. Maybe her being worried about paparazzi hadn't been paranoid. It turns out the twins weren't kidding. At least they touched up her black eye.

"I sort of got roped into it. The twins showed her pictures of me in her dress. I had asked how I could repay the kindness that they had showed me, and all of a sudden I'm a model. Honestly the whole thing still has me sort of overwhelmed." Katsumi sighed and raked her fingers through her hair. She felt so emotionally drained. She'd had about as much excitement and change as she could handle.

"That sounds like Yuzuha Hitachiin" Kyouya said simply.

"Would me being a famous model help things with your father at all?" Katsumi asked. If she was going to go through with this, she'd at least better get Mr. Otori's approval out of it.

Kyouya shrugged. "Perhaps. Are you ready to go to the museum?"

Katsumi nodded. A quiet date at the museum sounded nice after all the chaos of the past few days. Kyouya offered his hand and she took it, interlacing their fingers.

"Let's go have a quiet date. I bet you could use it after the past week. Things have been rather crazy for you, haven't they?" Kyouya brushed a lock of hair out of her face. Haruhi watched them amazed. She had never seen Kyouya look at anyone like that before. Hikaru grimaced, really wishing Kaoru didn't have to watch. He could see the pain on his face. Kaoru only wished that he could touch her that way, that easily.

"Hey it could be worse. I have a place to stay, I have a job, and I have you." She squeezed his hand.

At that moment Mori and Hani stepped into the classroom.

"Hey Mori senpai, hey Hani senpai." The twins greeted them in perfect unison.

"Oh hey guys" Haruhi said.

"Hey Hani senpai. Hi Takashi senpai! What's up?" Katsumi asked.

Hani looked up at Takashi confused. He was the only one allowed to call him Takashi, wasn't he? Takashi wasn't looking surprised. Had he given her permission to do that?

Takashi nodded a hello to the twins and Haruhi and was going to do the same to Katsumi when noticed her and Kyouya's interlinked hands. He felt his insides twist into a knot. Their dinner must have gone well, really well. His heart sunk into his stomach. He didn't even have a prayer of a chance now.

"Well, since Tamachan has to go meet with his father we were wondering if the rest of you wanted to go do something together." Hani senpai asked everybody.

"The boss wouldn't like that" Hikaru said, glancing at Kaoru.

"He'd pitch a total fit if he found out" Kaoru agreed.

"Tamaki senpai would be heartbroken if we all did something without him." Haruhi nodded, agreeing with the twins.

"Besides, Katsumi and I have a previous engagement" Kyouya said smoothly.

"Thanks for the invitation though." Katsumi offered them a smile. "We're still on for Friday though, right Takashi senpai?"

"Yeah" Takashi said with a nod, unable to force out anything else.

"Where is she?!" A woman's voice echoed down the hall. Katsumi squeezed her eyes shut. No way. Not here. Why now? "There you are!" Katsumi's mother barged into the 1A classroom, slamming the door open. "So you run away from home and go become a model for some famous fashion line?! And who are all these boys?! Come on, you're coming home RIGHT NOW!"

Katsumi's mother stormed over and grabbed her wrist, tugging her away from Kyouya.

"She's not going anywhere!" Haurhi yelled.

"Let her go" Kyouya demanded.

The twins jumped up from their desks, while Mori and Hani stood quietly in one corner, getting ready to intervene if her mother got violent. No way was Takashi going to let her lay another hand on Katsumi.

"Stop guys. I can handle this myself. I'm not just some damsel in distress." Katsumi ripped her wrist out of her mother's hand. "Mom, stop it. You're being unreasonable."

"Bitch! How dare you! I'M being unreasonable?! I have had it up to here with your insolence!" She reached to slap Katsumi, but Katsumi caught her wrist instead, pinning it behind her back. She wasn't going to be taken by surprise this time.

"Mom, stop it. I'm done. I'm not coming home." Katsumi kept her face deadpan serious as she stared into the furious face of her mother. In reality, she was a mess inside. She loved her mom. It was only after her father left a few years ago that the drinking really started to get bad. It was a slow process. First she came home drunk once a month, then once every week. She had only recently started coming home drunk every day. Katsumi hadn't even noticed it was happening until it became a problem. This close to her, Katsumi could smell the alcohol on her breath. She had been drinking before she came to Ouran. Apparently she was drinking during the day now.

"What the hell do you mean you're not coming home?!" Her mother yelled, thrashing under Katsumi's hold.

"I mean I'm not coming home. I have a job and someplace to live. You don't have to worry about me anymore, and I'm not going to take your abuse anymore. I'm sick of you coming home drunk every day. I'm upset that you didn't believe me when I told you the truth, and you had no reason to hit me. Now, I believe Kyouya and I have someplace to go, don't we Kyouya?" Katsumi released her hold on her mother. Since she had been struggling she staggered forward which gave Katsumi enough time to get back to Kyouya.

"So is that where you're living? With this rich boy? I bet he got that job for you! How does it feel being with a slut?" Katsumi's mother volleyed off question after insulting question but Katsumi ignored her. She grabbed Kyouya's hand and tugged him out of the room, down the hall, and outside to the front of the school. She half expected to see cameras flashing at her and was grateful there weren't any… yet. She guessed they hadn't caught wind of who she was quite yet. It wasn't until they were in the car and had driven away from the school that Katsumi was finally able to relax.

"Are you alright?" Kyouya asked her.

"I think I will be. That was more difficult than I had thought it would be. I hadn't imagined that she would come confront me at school." Katsumi sighed. "But I did it, and it's behind me now."

Kyouya wrapped his arms around her. He wasn't sure what to say next. She leaned her head on his shoulder, taking in his comforting scent. "I still love her you know" Katsumi mumbled into his uniform.

"I know. I still love my father after everything he's done. They're our parents. I want to believe he's doing all this because he wants the best for me and my brothers, but at the same time I know he's just thinking about the company and his legacy." Kyouya was letting his walls down again. He found it was getting easier and easier to tell her things.

"You know if I hadn't gone on that date with you the other day, I would have thought the word love wasn't even in your vocabulary." Katsumi chuckled a bit at her own joke.

"There are lots of words in my vocabulary that I hardly ever use. I know them, I just hardly have occasion to use them." Katsumi shook her head at him. There go those walls again.

Katsumi's phone buzzed inside her backpack. She reached in and fished it out.

KAORU: Are you okay?

KATSUMI: I'll be fine. I'll see you tonight when I get back.

She really didn't feel like talking to Kaoru about all that now. Maybe tonight, after she'd calmed down a bit.

"Speaking of parents, how would you like to go to a party with me this week?" Kyouya asked her, trying to get her mother off her mind.

"A party? When?"

"Thursday. My father is holding a dinner for some of our investors. I'm expected to be there and I thought it might be a lot more fun if I brought a date. Plus, it would be an excellent time to introduce you to my father. He's less likely to make a comment about your status if there are others present."

"I think I could manage that" Katsumi replied, ignoring the comment about her status. "I have another Kendo practice with Takashi senpai on Friday and Mrs. Hitachiin wants me all to herself this weekend for fittings. You're lucky your party isn't this weekend."

"I'll send over something for you to wear then. Though what you're wearing now is lovely. Looks like the twins took you shopping." Kyouya ran his fingertips along her neck. Katsumi felt her skin tingle.

"Yeah they did. I'm glad you like it."

"In fact, I love it." Kyouya leaned in close and whispered in her ear. "Though I think I'd like it much better on the floor." Katsumi blushed dark red. A shiver ran through her whole body. She had a hard time believing he was as innocent as he claimed to be. She held back a giggle as she imagined how his clients would react if he whispered something like that in their ears. He began littering kisses along her neck. How long could they hold off? It was all she could do to not devour him right here and now.

"You'd better stop soon Kyouya or I won't be able to hold back" Katsumi half moaned.

"Who says I want you to hold back?" Kyouya groaned, lightly biting her neck.

"I don't think the back of a limo would be a great place for our first time." Katsumi laughed a little. The laugh sounded off though, it was too breathy, as if the sound had gotten caught in her throat.

"I suppose you're right." Kyouya straightened up a little but still held her close to him. "You are just so intoxicating."

"So are you." Katsumi relaxed against him. Even though she was insanely attracted to him, just being around him relaxed her. She took a deep breath through her nose. The tense muscles in her shoulders began to loosen.

"How about when this fashion show of yours is over we take that trip to Okinawa?" Kyouya suggested. He hoped she would say yes, but realized she might want to wait even longer.

"That sounds lovely. I think I can hold back until then. What about you?" Katsumi grinned up at him and Kyouya felt a wave of relief wash over him.

"I think I can manage" Kyouya stated, leaning in to press his lips lightly to hers.


	7. Chapter 7

"Do I look alright?" Katsumi asked, twirling slowly in a circle.

"Fantastic" Hikaru offered.

"Amazing" Kaoru said with a smile.

The black ball gown brushed the floor as she turned. The top was beaded satin and the bottom was tulle. She found the tulle rather itchy, but hoped she could ignore it.

Yuzuha popped her head into Kaoru's bedroom. "That look marvelous on you darling. It really flatters your hourglass figure. What's the occasion?"

"Kyouya's father is having a party for his investors and Kyouya thinks this is the perfect time to introduce him to his new girlfriend" Katsumi said flatly. She was terrified of meeting Mr. Ootori after everything Kyouya had said about him. What if he didn't like her? Did that mean they couldn't be together? What if Kyouya went against his father's wishes? Did he lose all chance of gaining control of the company?

"Kyouya Ootori, hm? He's quite the catch." Yuzuha circled her like a bird of prey. "That boy certainly has good taste. This dress fits you like a glove."

"The dress fits alright, but I don't know how I'm going to manage in those shoes." Along with the dress Kyouya had sent over a beaded black clutch and a pair of strappy stiletto heels. "I can barely walk in normal heels, let alone those strappy things."

"Oh come now, if I can do it every day all day you should be able to manage for one night" Yuzuha chastised. "You'll be wearing shoes like that at the fashion show so better get used to it." At that moment her phone rang in her pocket. "Oh darlings, it's one of my executives from France. I have to take this."

"Bonjour…" Yuzuha began as she walked out of the room.

"I swear that woman is a hurricane" Katsumi remarked with a shake of her head. "Sometimes I feel like I can barely get a word in edgewise!"

"How do you think we feel?" Kaoru asked.

"We've only lived with her our whole lives" Hikaru added. "At least now we have you to soften the blow a little bit."

"Do you really think it's okay for me to live here with you guys?" Katsumi asked, biting her lip.

"Of COURSE" the twins said in unison. "She wouldn't want it any other way. Trust us."

"She's having your own private suite designed for you, you know" Kaoru told her. Her mouth dropped open.

"No way. You've got to be kidding. I don't need that. A guest room would be fine!"

"Nope. Like we told you before, mom never does anything half way. She's wanting to give it to you as a surprise the night before the fashion show, so shhhh… don't tell her we told you." Hikaru snickered.

"What's it look like?!" Katsumi demanded.

"No way. Not telling!" The twins shook their heads. She hated it when they teased her like this.

Katsumi rolled her eyes. "What time is it?"

"It's almost six." Kaoru clicked the button on the side of his phone to light up the screen.

"Almost six?! Kyouya will be here any minute! Please somebody help me get these shoes on." Just as Kaoru finished strapping her in to her left heel the doorbell rang. A moment later a butler came and knocked on Kaoru's door.

"Sirs, Mr. Ootori is here to retrieve Miss Horishito."

"Yes we'll have her there right away" Hikaru answered. He gave Katsumi another once over before giving her the okay to go.

"Kaoru" she whispered to him as they walked down the hall, arms linked. "I'm really nervous."

"Don't be" he replied. "They'll love you." He squeezed her arm reassuringly. Katsumi took a deep breath. "I'll see you when you get home."

"I'll text you when I'm headed back or if I'm staying so you know I'm safe." Katsumi offered Kaoru one last smile before opening the door.

The first thought through her mind was that Kyouya looked dashing. His black tuxedo looked amazing on him. He hadn't even touched her yet and she felt more aroused than she could ever remember feeling. Queasiness soon replaced her feeling of arousal when she realized just how hard focusing on his family was going to be. They were going to hate her. She was going to say something stupid, or trip over her heels, or…

"You look breathtaking" Kyouya offered, taking her hand. Katsumi took in a deep breath and squeezed his hand. As long as he was there with her, everything was going to be alright. "I see you wore that pendent I had sent over."

"Is it another Ootori heirloom?" she asked. With the dress, purse, and shoes, Kyouya sent over a beautiful onyx and diamond pendant.

"No, I bought that one. You don't have to keep it if you don't want to. It actually inspired your dress."

"I'll keep it, if you want me to."

"I would like that very much." The driver opened the door of the limo and Kyouya climbed in. Katsumi followed suit.

"I was going to ask if this dress was a little much, but if you're dressed like that, I suppose it isn't."

"This is a very formal party." Katsumi became suspicious. Her eyes narrowed.

"Kyouya… just how big is this party?" she asked accusingly.

"Well it's more like… a ball."

"A BALL?!" Katsumi shrieked. A ball meant dancing. Katsumi couldn't dance!

"Relax. It's dinner, a little dancing. It's our first time being seen as a couple in my world. Plus, your first time in this world as a Hitachiin model."

"That doesn't make it any less stressful. What if I trip, or say something stupid, or…"

Kyouya shut her up by pressing his lips to hers. She felt her eyes drift closed as the heady scent of him filled her nostrils. His scent was even muskier than normal. He must be wearing cologne. He placed his hand on the side of her face and gently ran his thumb along her cheekbone as he kissed her. All the worries were leeched out of her mind by his kiss. Her mind became absolutely blank, she could only feel. Kyouya gently pulled away, running his nose along hers.

"Darling, everything will be fine" he reassured her. His hot breath danced on his lips, making her want to kiss him again, but before she could reconnect their lips, the driver opened the door.

"Master, Miss Horishito, we have arrived at the Ootori estate."

"Thank you Tachibana, you may resume your normal duties now." Tachibana nodded.

"Tachibana is normally my head of security" Kyouya clarified to Katsumi. Now that he mentioned it, she had seen Tachibana around before. He…

"You had him tailing us at the museum, didn't you?" Katsumi accused.

Kyouya winced. Damn, he hadn't been subtle enough.

"I always have him with me out in public, but I didn't want him interfering with our date, so I had him pose as another museum goer." Kyouya adjusted the glasses on his face.

Katsumi sighed. She had to pick her battles. Kyouya linked their arms.

"Are you ready?" he asked her.

"No…" Katsumi answered, feeling herself start to shake.

"Too bad" Kyouya whispered in her ear.

'Okay Katsumi' she thought to herself. 'Focus on your walking. Left foot, right foot, left foot… damn these heels are hard to walk in.'

"Lean on me if you have to" Kyouya offered. Kyouya led her through the front hallway to the doors of the ballroom. She was amazed by the details in the Ootori house. The floors must have been marble. Her heels clicked and clacked with each step that she took. When they reached the giant oak door, Kyouya nodded to the door man. Suddenly Katsumi found herself in a whole new world.

A whole chamber orchestra was playing classical music in one corner of the ballroom. A whole wall was made up of tables filled with food and drinks. Behind the tables were clear glass doors leading out to a large balcony that ran the length of the room. Smaller tables were lined against the opposite wall. The ballroom itself was beautiful. Pillars rose to a ceiling that must have been at least twenty feet high. Swathes of blue fabric lined the ceiling, giving one the feeling that they were looking up into the sky. Everyone was dressed to the nines. Women wore long floor length dresses clearly professionally designed. The men wore customized tailored suits, similar to Kyouya's. Many people were dancing. It must've been the waltz. Katsumi immediately broke out into a sweat. She didn't know how to dance.

Kyouya expertly guided her between the other guests, every once and a while nodding a hello to someone. Katsumi just felt overwhelmed. She had not signed up for this. Finally they were brought to a stop in front of a man that was just a little taller than she was. She could see the resemblance between him and Kyouya. His black hair was slicked back and his glasses sat straight on his nose.

'Oh Lord, help me' Katsumi silently prayed.

"Good evening Father. I would like to introduce you to my date, Katsumi Horishito." Katsumi could feel her legs shaking as Kyouya introduced her.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir" Katsumi said politely, bowing low.

"So this is the girl" was Mr. Ootori's only reply.

"Yes father" Kyouya answered simply. She could tell by the way he held himself that he was nervous.

"Kyouya tells me you're an honors student at Ouran" Mr. Ootori stated.

"Yes, sir" Katsumi replied.

"You must be fairly bright. Kyouya has also mentioned that you are a martial artist."

"Yes, sir. I practice Karate and Kendo. I have black belts in both arts."

"Quite impressive" he remarked, glancing her up and down as if she was a piece of meat, almost tender enough to be cooked.

"I've seen your face before…" he paused to think. "Ah… you're that new model the Hitachiins are planning on premiering at their fashion show next weekend, aren't you?'

"Yes, sir" Katsumi answered. She felt like she was being interrogated.

"And you're planning on becoming a neurosurgeon."

"That's one of many fields I'm considering, yes." Katsumi just nodded at him. Where Kyouya's eyes held softness, this man's eyes were hard and steely. She could now see where Kyouya's cool persona came from. He couldn't perfectly replicate this man's gaze however. There was a ruthlessness there that Kyouya did not possess.

Kyouya reached down and linked their hands, squeezing Katsumi's hand in a manner that was most likely meant to be reassuring, but had Katsumi's heart pounding in her chest.

"My son seems quite fond of you" Mr. Ootori observed skeptically.

"I am very fond of her." Kyouya answered his question before Katsumi could even open her mouth.

"Was I speaking to you?" Mr. Ootori asked in a low voice. Katsumi caught the menacing edge to it. No wonder he had Kyouya running in circles to please him. He seemed like a man that was never happy.

"I'm not sure how Kyouya feels, but I'm fond of him as well." Kyouya sighed in relief. Katsumi must have answered his question correctly.

"Mr. Ootori?" A servant came up and whispered something in his ear.

"There is someone I must speak to. I hope you have a good time tonight Miss Horishito. I will be seeing you again soon." With that, Mr. Ootori disappeared into the crowd.

"Did that… go well?" Katsumi asked Kyouya, unsure of what to think.

"That didn't go badly." Kyouya nervously adjusted the glasses on his face.

"I assume we're alright for now since he said he would be seeing me again soon" she speculated.

"I surmise that you are correct. I think you may have passed the initial test. He most likely thinks you are audacious for working your way into Ouran even though you are a commoner."

"Gee, thanks for that" Katsumi replied flatly.

Kyouya cocked his head slightly to the right, not sure why she was being sarcastic with him. Maybe it had something to do with him mentioning her status.

"Would you like something to eat?" he asked her.

"I couldn't eat a bite. My stomach is still doing somersaults."

"Would you like to dance then?" Before she could reply, Kyouya had dragged her onto the dance floor.

"Kyouya… there's one problem."

"Oh?" he asked, cocking his eyebrow.

"I can't dance." She winced, prepared for another harsh comment about her status.

"Not a problem. Just follow me." He took her right hand in his left, rested his right hand on her waist, and had her rest her left hand on his upper arm.

Katsumi knew she was going to make a fool of herself. Kyouya squeezed her hand, bringing her attention up to his face.

"Just look at me" he told her. She got lost in his eyes. The steely resolve she had seen the week before had completely disappeared. All she could see was reassurance and affection. He smiled softly at her, cocking up only one side of his mouth. She frowned in confusion. They were moving. They were moving! She had been dancing with him without even realizing it. He moved his hand away from her waist, and brought their conjoined hands above her head, spinning her around. They moved together fluidly, without a second thought.

"Looks like you're a better dancer that you thought" Kyouya observed.

"I guess so!" Katsumi exclaimed with a laugh.

As soon as the song ended Katsumi leaned up to whisper in Kyouya's ear. "Can we please sit down? These shoes are killing me." He just nodded at her.

"Would you like anything to drink?" Kyouya asked her after they were seated.

"Just some water Kyouya, please?" He gave her a dashing smile.

"Coming right up" A mere second after Kyouya had disappeared into the crowd, another man stepped up to the table. He had slicked back greying brown hair and wore a white suit.

"Did I hear you correctly earlier? Are you to be the new Hitachiin model?" he asked her.

"Yes, sir. That's correct."

"My name is Yuzuru Suoh. It's a pleasure to finally meet you Miss Horishito." He extended his hand and Katsumi shook it.

"Suoh? Are you Tamaki's father?" Katsumi asked him.

"Yes, Tamaki is my son. Do you know him?" She got the feeling he was just humoring her.

"I'm involved with the host club. My boyfriend, Kyouya Ootori…" She was cut off by Mr. Suoh.

"A model for the Hitachiins and dating an Ootori. Next you'll tell me you're best friends with Haruhi Fujioka."

"I am, sir. We've been best friends since middle school." Mr. Suoh chuckled slightly.

"Well it makes sense that my two honors students know one another. I'm the one that accepted your application and approved your scholarship. You show quite a lot of promise young lady." He handed her a rose. Katsumi had no idea where he had been hiding it. "Please let me know if you ever need anything Miss Horishito. I would be glad to help."

As quickly as he appeared, he disappeared back into the crowd. Katsumi felt totally overwhelmed. There were hundreds of people all around her, all people she didn't know, she was uncomfortable in this itchy dress and her shoes were killing her. Kyouya was nowhere in sight. She almost felt like she couldn't breathe. Time for some fresh air.

Kyouya was confused and frustrated. It took him nearly fifteen minutes to get over to the drink table because he was constantly stopped by associates of his father. By the time he finally made it back to the table, Katsumi had disappeared. He stood there fuming for a moment. Where could she have gone? He glanced around the room and couldn't find a single trace of her black dress. However, one of the doors to the balcony was open. That had to be where she had gone.

Katsumi stood out on the balcony, her elbows resting on the cool stone. Her feet ached but the cold air felt much too good. She felt hands lightly skim up her arms to rest on her shoulders. Goosebumps erupted on her skin.

"I thought I might find you out here." She felt his breath tickle the hairs around her ear. His voice sounded like silk.

"Sorry I was just… I was overwhelmed." Kyouya rubbed her arms lightly, trying to rid them of goosebumps. Eventually he slipped off his tuxedo jacket and placed it on her shoulders.

"That's alright. We can take a break for a while." Kyouya wrapped his left arm protectively around her waist.

"So how much longer is this party?" Katsumi asked him.

"These go on into the night. We don't have to stay too much longer. We've made our appearance. We've spoken to my father. I can take you back to the twins' place in about an hour."

"You know, I thought parties meant having fun."

"You're not having fun?" he teased.

"Well the dancing was fun. But I don't like being in situations where I'm expected to act a certain way around a bunch of people I don't know."

"Welcome to my world." Kyouya turned her to face him. "With me, this is how things are going to be. Can you handle that?"

"For you? I think I can." He lightly pressed his lips to her forehead. "I still thought we would be able to spend more time together."

"You know, I don't have to take you back to the twins tonight. You could stay with me" Kyouya whispered in her ear. She felt a shiver run up and down her spine. "That would give us plenty of time."

"I thought we were waiting until Okinawa for that." Katsumi's voice came out breathier than she had intended.

"There are other things other than that for us to enjoy before then. And if you don't want to do any of that either, we can just spend the night together" Kyouya offered.

"We'll have to see about that other stuff." Katsumi fixed him with a look. She wanted to do everything she could with him, but she just wasn't ready. She wasn't confident enough quite yet. She'd have to see how she felt after him kissing her drove her to the edge. "However I think I would definitely enjoy sleeping next to you." She appreciated Kyouya's patience. He was letting her know how much he desired her while still waiting for her to be ready. He was such a gentleman.

Two hours, eleven conversations with people she didn't know, and three dances later, Kyouya carried Katsumi up to his room. Her feet felt like they were about ready to fall off.

"You know, you're stronger than you look."

"Oh am I?" Kyouya asked. He smirked at her and Katsumi knew she was in trouble. He flung her over his shoulder and carried her that way. She was glad they were far enough away from the party that nobody saw her.

A few minutes later Kyouya tossed her on his bed.

"Hey, that wasn't funny!" Katsumi grumped.

"That seemed pretty funny to me" he remarked. Katsumi just crossed her arms and looked the other way. Kyouya shook his head. "Let me get these shoes off you."

Katsumi let out small moans of pleasure as Kyouya first removed one shoe, then the other. He placed light kisses on each ankle before getting to his feet again.

"So what do I get to wear to bed? Because I'm sure as hell not wearing this" Katsumi asked. Before she knew it, a white t shirt was in her face.

"That should fit you. It's one of my undershirts."

"Will you undo the zipper?" Katsumi stood up, feeling her feet protest, and swept back her hair. Kyouya stepped up behind her and slowly pulled down the zipper. She slid the dress off and undid her strapless bra, giving Kyouya a lovely view of her back and the black lace panties she was wearing. He felt himself stiffen in his tuxedo pants. She slipped the white shirt over her shoulders and it settled about a third of the way down her thighs. It would do.

Sitting down on the edge of the bed she asked him "Are you going to change? I can't imagine that's comfortable."

Kyouya pulled at his tie, loosening it. Katsumi watched as he pulled the tuxedo shirt out of his pants, revealing a badly hidden boner. She giggled a bit. Katsumi pulled bobby pins out of her hair as Kyouya unbuttoned his shirt. Finally, as Kyouya undid the last button, Katsumi's long dark hair fell down her back like a wave, the intricate hairdo that the twins had made undone.

"Can I use your bathroom?" she asked Kyouya. He simply nodded, unable to find words. 'What was she going to do in there?' he asked himself. Then he answered his own question. She was probably going to take off all the makeup the twins had forced on her. After he had stripped down to an undershirt and boxers, he climbed in bed and waited. A moment later she walked up the stairs from the lower part of his suite. Her eyes looked a little smaller, her lips a little less full, and her skin wasn't exactly the same color everywhere, but he found he didn't care. She looked just as beautiful this way too.

Climbing into bed, she rested her head on his shoulder. "Do I still look okay without all the makeup?" she asked him.

"I could hardly tell the difference" he lied. Honestly though, he didn't care either way. Katsumi was Katsumi.

Kyouya felt as hard as a flagpole. Even the thought of having Katsumi in bed with him had made him rock hard. He shifted his hips away from her so she wouldn't feel it. He didn't want to pressure her. But God how he wanted her. To his surprise she pressed her ass right against it, causing him to gasp and bite his lip.

"I thought so" Katsumi said with a giggle.

"I'm so aroused because the thought of you in bed with me wearing that is arousing" Kyouya answered, trying to regain his cool.

"Don't worry, you're not the only one" Katsumi answered, placing his hand over her underwear. He could feel the intense heat radiating from there. So she was aroused too. He pressed his fingers into the upper part of the opening, searching over the fabric for her clit. He was rewarded with a moan before he withdrew his hand.

"I don't want to push you Katsumi. I want you, when you're ready, to give everything to me. And not before." Kyouya gave a shudder as the thought of her under him during a stormy night in Okinawa passed through his mind. He much preferred the thought of her there to the thought of Haruhi there.

"I may not be ready to give you everything, but I may be willing to give you something tonight." Kyouya felt his member twitch at those words.

"What do you have in mind?" he asked smoothly.

"Just kiss me" she answered. Kyouya didn't have to be told twice. He brought her lips to his own in a searing kiss. Their tongues entangled almost immediately and Katsumi's legs wrapped around his own, drawing him in to her. He ran a hand along her waist. It stopped right where her breast was, his thumb running lightly over her nipple. He was rewarded with a gasp. God, how he loved her noises. He moved Katsumi up so she was straddling him, her hips grinding in to his hardness, drawing a moan out of him. He had never been so turned on in his life. He brought his hands under the hem of her shirt and ran them along her stomach until they reached her bare breasts. Taking them in his hands, he let out another moan at how soft they were. Katsumi ground her hips against his hard member, feeling the sensation flow through her clitoris.

Kyouya growled and broke their kiss, tilting her head back so he could have access to her neck. Katsumi moaned as he lightly nibbled there. The things this man could do to her body. She'd never felt anything like it. Rolling over so she was on her side again, she guided one of Kyouya's hands down between her legs. Getting the picture, Kyouya probed the inside of her lips with an index finger. The wetness was slick and sticky at the same time. Starting at the top, he probed her sensitive button, which caused Katsumi to make a number of mewling sounds that made his cock throb. He then stuck his finger inside her pussy, curving his finger as he stroked. After a few strokes of his finger, he felt Katsumi reach into his shorts and grab his cock. She felt him shudder in pleasure.

She matched his strokes. For every move he made, she replicated it on his cock. She found a particularly sensitive spot where the shaft met the head and made a point of teasing there often. Her vaginal muscles began to tighten and she knew she was close. At this point Kyouya was nearly panting, trying to hold back his orgasm. It was only when she let out a long low moan and her muscles clamped down on his fingers that she felt him let go. Letting out another growl his cock twitched over and over, spewing warm liquid all over his stomach and undershirt.

"Fuck" Kyouya exclaimed as he lay back, withdrawing his hand from Katsumi's underwear.

"Yeah that about sums it up" Katsumi agreed, resting her head on his shoulder. "If this felt that good then…"

"Then I'm going to make you scream" Kyouya told her. Katsumi felt her vaginal muscles pulse at his comment.

"You should probably clean up you know…" she told him with a yawn. She could feel herself fading.

"Oh probably" he said, reaching for a box of tissues that he kept next to the bed. She felt her eyes begin to drift closed as he was dabbing off his stomach.

"Sleep Katsumi" he whispered in her ear. "I'll be right here." And her world went black.

"Again" Katsumi demanded, hauling herself up off the dojo floor.

"You sure?" Takashi senpai asked. He had kicked her ass more times today than she could count. Her beating him that first day had definitely been a fluke.

"I said again" Katsumi said flatly, moving in to fighting stance. Takashi replicated her movement. As she had said the first time they fought, your funeral.

She lashed out at him with her right fist, but he easily deflected with his forearm. He kicked but she caught his ankle and pushed his leg back. She dodged another punch from him, but hadn't expected him to kick at the same time. On her ass again.

"You okay?" Takashi asked, squatting down.

"Yeah I'm fine" Katsumi grumbled.

"Here" He extended his hand and Katsumi took it. He pulled her up as if she weighed nothing at all. Katsumi felt her heart pound as she stood this close to him, flush against his body. She glanced up and caught him looking down at her. Heat colored her cheeks. Somersaults plagued her stomach. She felt the same feeling she had when Kyouya was about to kiss her. Had Takashi been…? No. Then what was happening? Did she have feelings for him too? She shook her head to clear it.

"Again" she demanded.

"You're going to hurt yourself."

"I know my limits. Again."

Not even thirty second later she was on her ass, again. Mori extended his hand without a word. She took it, and a smirk spread over her face. When he wasn't expecting it, she pulled him down with her. She laughed and a small smile played on his lips. He enjoyed how playful she was. Having her that close earlier made his heart pound so hard he was surprised she hadn't felt it. It took a minute for Katsumi to realize how close they were. Their noses were practically touching. She could feel his breath on her face. Her stomach flipped over and her heart sped up. For a split second she thought about kissing him. What was wrong with her? She was with Kyouya now. But Takashi senpai's warm body and hot breath were intoxicating. She imagined his strong arms picking her up and pressing her against the dojo wall… Woah! Where did those thought come from?

At that moment, Takashi was picturing the exact same thing. He would've loved to kiss her, to press her against the dojo wall, to claim her for his own. But no… she was Kyouya's now. He got up and dusted himself off.

Katsumi hesitated a moment before taking the hand he offered her this time. She took a moment to feel the warm skin of his hand as he pulled her up off the ground. There was no denying it, her body definitely responded to him.

"Again?" he asked her.

"No, not this time Takashi senpai. I'm beat."

"Okay" he smiled his gentle smile at her once more before heading to the boys changing room. Her insides twisted at his smile. Katsumi stood rooted to her spot for a moment after he left. She was starting to have feelings for Takashi senpai too. With the way he made her stomach flip and heart pound there was no denying it. The question was, did he have feelings for her? And if he did… what was she going to do about them? She shook her head. She couldn't worry about that now. She had to worry about the fashion show coming up… and her trip to Okinawa with Kyouya. Rubbing her face she turned around to go change. This was going to have to be put on the back burner for now, until she could spend some brain cells to figure out how she was going to handle this, and how on earth she was going to talk to Kyouya about it.

 _A little bit of fluff in this one. I thought you guys deserved it for sticking it out so long. Please leave reviews! I love them!_

 _P.S. Please forgive any spelling errors I might make. I usually write these late at night with a burst of inspiration, so some names may be wrong. I try my best to spellcheck and read through, but I usually always miss something_

 _Much love, Kat_


	8. Chapter 8

"Ow!" Katsumi pulled her leg back from the pin poking her in the thigh.

"Damnit Katsumi, hold still" Yuzuha chided. "We're almost done with this outfit."

"How many more are there?"

"About half a dozen, I think. Almost done!" Katsumi glared down at Yuzuha who was pinning the hemline on a short black dress. It also could've been a long shirt. She wasn't too sure. Yuzuha kept working, not even noticing the glare. How could she consider a half dozen outfits almost done? They had already adjusted at least a dozen already, but still. Was she really going to model all these in front of hundreds or thousands of people? Just the thought gave her stage fright. She never should've agreed to this.

"Turn to the left." Absentmindedly, Katsumi did as she was told. Her feet were killing her. These shoes were even worse than what Kyouya had picked out for her for that party. They were a good inch taller too. She was going to fall off the catwalk and make a total fool of herself. Or she was going to break her ankle.

'Haruhi would be laughing so hard if she could see me right now' Katsumi thought. 'She'd tell me that I did this to myself. I don't get why she thinks it's only me that gets myself in trouble. She's the one pretending to be a boy because she broke a vase."

"I'm so glad to get some time with you, Katsumi" Yuzuha said as she stood up and walked in a circle around her, examining her work. Every once and a while she would adjust a pin or tug on an area to make it lay right. "You're always surrounded by those boys. You need some girl time."

'If this is what constitutes girl time, count me out' she thought. What she really said was "Me too! I'm glad to spend some time with you." Damn her over politeness.

"This dress looks marvelous on you!" So it was a dress after all. "This has got to be my favorite ensemble yet!" Katsumi took that as her cue to change. Instead of a zipper or buttons, this dress had strings that tied around the waist and on the shoulders. It took her a good five minutes to undo the crazy knots that Yuzuha had tied them in. When the dress finally fell to the floor it was quickly swept away and replaced with another outfit. Black skin tight pants, some billowy white shirt, a different pair of crazy high heels, and some gaudy jewelry.

"Yuzuha how am I supposed to get these pants on?" Katsumi nearly wailed after 10 minutes of trying. She couldn't even get them up past mid-thigh.

"You suck in your gut!" Katsumi glanced down. She didn't think she was that fat… Yuzuha grabbed the waist band of the pants and gave them three sharp pulls. Before Katsumi knew it, they were on.

"How did you manage that?!"

"Magic, darling. Fashion magic. It looks like those pants are almost perfect. They're a little too long though. We're going to have to bring up the hem." And she was off to work again before Katsumi could even manage to get the shirt on. Where the pants felt too tight, the shirt felt too loose. As soon as she put it on she felt lost inside the flowy white fabric.

How did Yuzuha even come up with these outfits? There was no way any of these were going to look good. The black dress had been too short, and this outfit was too tight and too loose in all the wrong places.

"Hey mom" Hikaru said as he and Kaoru barged through the door to Yuzuha's private studio. "We wanted to see how the designing was going."

"Going good. She looks absolutely darling in everything. I knew I picked the right model!" Yuzuha cooed as she continued her work on the hemline of the pants.

"What if we added a belt to this?" Hikaru asked. "I feel like we're losing her figure in the shirt."

"Then that takes away from the beauty of the shirt" Yuzuha insisted.

"It doesn't have to." Hikaru poked around the studio looking for something. When he returned he held a long strip of the same white fabric. "If we tie it like this, you can hardly tell that it's not a part of the shirt."

"That does emphasize her waist…" Yuzuha took a step back to look at Katsumi in the full length mirror.

"What if we tied it like this instead, made the belt wider so it looks like a tie shirt?" Kaoru suggested, his hands deftly moving against Katsumi's body.

"Now that I like" Yuzuha said. Katsumi stifled a giggle as Kaoru stuck his tongue out at Hikaru. Hikaru just halfheartedly clocked him on the back of the head. Katsumi's text message tone rang out from a chair on the other side of the room. She moved to go grab it, but Yuzuha held her still, now pinning the tie to the shirt.

"Kaoru, will you grab that?" Kaoru, who was rubbing the back of his head and glaring at Hikaru, ran over to pick it up. Katsumi shook her head. Those boys were always hamming it up.

Kaoru clicked on the screen, unlocking her phone. "It's from Kyouya" he called out.

"What's it say?" Katsumi asked.

"Thursday night was amazing. Can't wait to take you to Okinawa once your fashion show is over. How's the fitting going?" Kaoru felt his heart drop deeper into his stomach with each word. What had happened between the two of them Thursday? He knew she hadn't come home. He stayed up until three waiting for her. Hikaru squeezed his eyes closed. Great. Kaoru hadn't needed to read that. He should've gotten her phone for her.

Yuzuha watched as Katsumi's face turned beet red. "T-tell him everything's going fine, Kaoru" she finally managed to stutter out.

"What happened between you and Ootori Kyouya?!" Yuzuha pressed.

"N-nothing" Katsumi insisted, her face somehow managing to turn a deeper shade of red.

"Don't nothing me, young lady. You can't hide that from me. I want all the juicy details."

"Mom, she doesn't have to tell you if she doesn't want to." Hikaru came to her rescue.

"Oh come on, I want to know!"

"Well… um…" Katsumi wasn't sure how she was going to force out all those juicy details that Yuzuha wanted.

"Excuse me. I've got some homework that I have to do." Kaoru quietly excused himself before dashing down the hall. He had to get as far away from there as possible. He didn't want to hear anything about her and Kyouya. Tears streamed down his face as he ran. She was gone. He was never going to get her to notice him.

"I think I'm going to go study with Kaoru. Good luck, Katsumi" Hikaru said before following Kaoru out the door, shutting it quietly behind him. He pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. Damn it, Kyouya senpai. He stalked down the hallway, his hands in his pockets. What should he do? He didn't want to see Kaoru hurt, but he also enjoyed being the center of his world. What would he do if they did fall in love? At least he and Katsumi were getting along now.

Sobs wracked Kaoru's body as he lay on his bed. He was never going to have her now. She was out of his reach. She and Kyouya… A mental image of the two of them ran through his head. Once it was there, he couldn't get it out. He had touched her everywhere, kissed her everywhere. Kaoru gagged. Was his lunch going to come up? He felt the mattress sink as someone sat on the bed next to him. Katsumi?

"I'm sorry you had to read that Kaoru." It was just Hikaru. He felt his twin's arms wrap around him from behind.

"It's fine" he choked out. "You don't like her anyway. You're getting what you wanted."

"She's my friend too, Kaoru. I don't hate her. She's becoming like the sister that I never had."

"It hurts, Hikaru." Kaoru's body shook as he struggled to breathe through his sobs.

"I know, Kaoru." Hikaru rested his head on top of his brother's. Would it really be so bad if they were together?

A few hours later, Katsumi was finally done. She checked the time on her phone. It was seven in the evening. They had been going at it for 10 hours, and she had another fitting next week. Rubbing the back of her neck, she glanced up and down the hall. Where would the boys be? The library?

The halls were so empty. The clunking of her boots echoed with each step she took. Her phone buzzed in her pocket.

KYOUYA: Done with your fitting yet?

KATSUMI: Yeah.

KYOUYA: How was it?

KATSUMI: I can't believe I agreed to this.

KYOUYA: That bad?

KATSUMI: 10 hours, Kyouya.

KYOUYA: I'm sorry. We can do something fun tomorrow if you want.

KATSUMI: Can't. I promised the rest of the weekend to the twins.

KYOUYA: You sure you don't want to spend it with me instead?

KATSUMI: Kyouya, I promised. They're my friends.

KYOUYA: I just don't like you spending so much time with Kaoru.

KATSUMI: He's my friend, Kyouya.

Katsumi sighed, stuffing her phone in her back pocket. They had already been over this. There was no need for Kyouya to be jealous. She and Kaoru were just friends. He was probably just worried about her. He wanted to protect her because he cared about her. Her phone dinged again and she fished it out.

KYOUYA: Sorry, I just worry about you.

KATSUMI: I know. There is no need though. I can handle myself.

KYOUYA: I'll see you on Monday.

KATSUMI: See you then.

Katsumi gently pushed open the door to the library. "Hello?" she called.

"Hey Katsumi, all done with Mom?" Kaoru asked her from a table in the middle of the room.

"Yeah, finally. My back and neck are killing me." She stretched her arms above her head, balancing on her toes. Kaoru watched the gentle curve of her back and felt a pang of jealousy. Kyouya could touch her whenever he wanted, however he wanted. He shook his head to clear it. She was happy, and that was what mattered. They were best friends, she cared about him, and they hung out all the time. For now he'd just have to be content spending time with her.

"She has you doing another fitting next weekend, right?" Hikaru asked.

"Yeah. She said all the clothes would be altered by then and it'd be a final fitting. The show's in two weeks, right?"

"Yep, two weeks from now exactly" Hikaru was kicked back in one of the chairs, his feet resting on the table. He had set the book he was reading in his lap.

"What about you guys? Why don't you have fittings?"

"Our clothes are already done" Kaoru set his pencil down the page he was writing on. "They were done weeks ago. Mom had us posing with another female model, but when we showed her the pictures of you in her dress, she went nuts."

"So what're you working on?" She moved to stand behind Kaoru, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Just the math homework. Have you started it yet?"

"Yeah, Takashi senpai helped me with it yesterday after practice."

"Well lucky you. What did you get for problem five?"

"-2/3"

"Good, that's what I got too."

"So what do you guys want to do tonight?" Katsumi asked. "I'm too tired for homework."

"Shopping?" Hikaru offered.

"You always say shopping" Katsumi raised her eyebrows at him.

"Shopping is fun!"

"Well I've been dealing with clothes all day. No shopping."

"We could go dancing" Kaoru suggested. "Remember Hikaru, there was that club we wanted to go to."

"Yeah that could be fun" Hikaru agreed.

"Guys, I can't dance." Katsumi protested.

"Nope, too late, we're going" Kaoru insisted. Katsumi groaned.

"What do I even wear?" Katsumi asked, her hands on her hips. She was not excited about the turn this evening was taking.

"Wear that dress from our mother's line that we gave you. That blue one that you wore last week. It'll look amazing." Hikaru got up from the table and grabbed Kaoru's arm. "Excuse us, we've got to go change."

"I'm still not happy about this guys" Katsumi said, arms crossed, as the limo pulled up to the entrance of the club.

"Oh come on, we're going to have a great time!" Hikaru insisted. 'And it's a good opportunity for you and Kaoru to get closer' he thought. He had decided he'd rather have Kaoru happy with Katsumi, than have Kaoru in pain without her. He'd just have to put up with it.

"Come on guys, we're here!" Kaoru stepped out of the open limo door, handing Katsumi out behind him. Katsumi still wasn't happy, but at least the twins had let her wear flats.

"Relax" Kaoru whispered in her ear. "Everything will be alright. This is going to be fun." She took his arm cautiously. Kyouya would be furious if he knew she was going to a club, but she wasn't a possession. He'd have to learn how to share her with the twins. She should be able to go out and have fun. This wasn't his scene either. He'd never want to go with her to a place like this. It probably wouldn't be good for the Ootori image.

Hikaru trailed behind them through the door. Just like when she first stepped into the ballroom at the Ootori mansion, Katsumi once again found herself in a brand new world. Loud music blasted from the speakers. Lights flashed all around them, but Katsumi could hardly see a foot in front of her face. The smell of cologne and sweat assaulted her nose. She instantly felt dizzy.

Kaoru mumbled something in her ear, but she couldn't hear him.

"What?!" she nearly yelled.

"You okay?!" Kaoru yelled back. Katsumi just nodded. This was all a bit overwhelming, but it could be fun. The dance floor was filled with squirming people, and the music had a nice beat to it. At least it wasn't too hot in there, despite all the people.

"Come on, come dance with me!" Kaoru tugged her on to the dance floor.

"Kaoru, I can't dance!" Katsumi exclaimed.

"It's easy" he said in her ear. He wrapped her arms around his neck and placed his hands on her waist. "Just move to the music." Katsumi focused on his face, trying to block out everything else. She could just make out the gleam in his catlike amber eyes. The boys really did clean up nice. Kaoru wore nice black pants, a slightly opened grey button up shirt, and a black leather jacket. She could just slightly make out a small tuft of chest hair.

They began to move. Katsumi rolled her hips to the beat of the music, slightly guided by Kaoru's hands. Kaoru was surprised at the grace with which she moved. The movement of her hips and the way they moved together seemed so natural. When he had gone dancing before he always had difficulty staying completely in sync with his partner. It was easy with Katsumi. He pulled her closer to him, enjoying the feeling of her body moving against his.

Hikaru watched them dance together from a table in the corner. They moved with such fluidity. He could practically see the chemistry passing between them. They looked like they belonged together. The way Kaoru looked at her… he knew his brother was completely gone. He was in love with her, even if he hadn't realized it yet. Hikaru had never seen anyone fall in love that fast, perhaps with the exception of Tamaki senpai. 'I have to stop getting in their way' Hikaru thought. He couldn't get between them anymore.

Katsumi's phone buzzed in the small clutch that she had brought with her. Hikaru fished it out and stared at the messages. There were two of them.

KYOUYA: What's up?

KYOUYA: Why aren't you answering?

Hikaru sighed. Senpai sure was getting possessive. Did Katsumi even notice? Probably not. She was probably too swept up in the novelty of this new relationship to even notice that something was going on. Eventually she would notice and come running to Kaoru. Knowing Kaoru, he would stay by her side no matter what, no matter who she was with. She was one of his best friends, and nothing would change that. What could he do to help his brother? He glanced down at her phone again. Maybe he was reading too much into this. Katsumi seemed happy, Kyouya was overjoyed, and they seemed to be doing fine. Sighing, Hikaru tucked her phone back in her purse. Would it never work out for Kaoru?

"Do you want anything to drink?" Kaoru asked Katsumi when the music changed.

"Just some water. Should I wait for you here?"

"Yeah I'll be right back" Katsumi watched as Kaoru disappeared into the crowd. Not a minute after Kaoru left, a man she didn't know came up behind her and grabbed her hips.

"Hey, let go!"

"Oh come on babe, dance with me!"

"I'm not interested" Katsumi insisted, trying to pull away.

"Why won't you dance with me you stuck up bitch?" He grabbed her wrist to turn her around. He had blonde hair, blue eyes, and a posture that said he was used to having everything handed to him on a silver platter.

"Look, I'm not interested, alright?" Katsumi tugged her wrist out of his hand.

"I wouldn't recommend pulling away from me again." He stood up straight, trying to be intimidating.

"I wouldn't recommend threatening me." Katsumi met his gaze, narrowing her eyes.

"Why? Got a boyfriend who's going to stop me?" He reached for her hips again, pulling her against him. "Come on I'm much better looking than that red haired guy!"

"You asked for it." She pulled away from him and gave him a swift kick to the stomach. He fell back on his ass.

"What the hell?!"

"I have a black belt in two different types of martial arts. I suggest you accept defeat and leave me alone." Kaoru came back with her water, handing it to Katsumi.

"Hey, is everything alright here?" he asked.

"Yeah man, everything's fine. Charming girl you have here."

"He give you any trouble?" Kaoru asked her after the man had walked away.

"Nothing I couldn't handle." Katsumi knocked back the water. "Come on, dance with me again." She was actually beginning to enjoy herself. Kaoru placed his hands on her hips and pulled her to him. She really could handle herself. He loved how self-sufficient she was. He caught Hikaru looking at them and smiling. He gave Kaoru a thumbs up. So he now had Hikaru's approval. Honestly Kaoru didn't care too much. She was with Kyouya now, and she was happy. He was patient and could wait, but even if it never worked out between them, he would always have their friendship, and this moment on the dance floor.


	9. Chapter 9

_WARNING: This chapter is one of the reasons this story is rated M. The last half is a very graphic sex scene._

"Okay Katsumi, are you ready?" Yuzuha asked her as she checked her outfit for any flaws. Katsumi just nodded, unable to form any words.

The past two weeks had gone by so fast. There had been several dates with Kyouya. Those had all gone really well. He had taken her to the zoo and to a local Ootori water park. Each time she thought she couldn't like him any more than she already did, he proved her wrong. They were talking constantly. Kyouya had so little free time, but what he had he liked to give to her. Hikaru had made several comments to her about Kyouya being overly clingy, but she had just brushed him off. He wasn't clingy. He just cared about her, that's all. She had sparred with Takashi senpai last Friday, but was missing today's session because of the fashion show. She wasn't sure how to deal with her feelings for him yet, but her attraction to him seemed to grow each time she saw him. She honestly wasn't sure how he felt either. He was so deadpan serious all the time. She couldn't read him. He could find her adorable or disgusting and she wouldn't know the difference. Hikaru and Kaoru had taken her shopping many times and were probably the only reason she had survived her second fitting with Yuzuha. They had offered suggestions and words of encouragement, which helped to make several outfits many times more bearable than they were before.

And the day was finally here, the day she was going to embarrass herself in front of hundreds, if not thousands of people, not to mention all of her friends. Yuzuha had put her in heels at least six inches high for the first outfit. The black dress she had on right now was so restrictive and she could hardly breathe, though she wasn't sure if that was the dress or her nerves. Her arms were linked with Hikaru's and Kaoru's. They were lending her a little strength, keeping her from falling over though her knees were shaking so badly they were knocking against each other.

'Breathe' she reminded herself. 'In through the nose, out through the mouth. Just survive tonight and you get the rest of your long weekend with Kyouya. Just you, Kyouya, and the beach.' The thought of her and Kyouya alone together in Okinawa just made her even more nervous so she changed trains of thought. 'All of your friends are out there waiting to cheer you on. Haruhi, Takashi senpai, Tamaki senpai, Hani senpai, and Kyouya…' Katsumi could hardly believe that he had actually come. He hadn't seemed that interested, but she had seen him earlier, seated with everyone else in the front row. Oh God, what if she made a fool of herself in FRONT OF HIM? She would never live down the shame.

"Hey, snap out of it" Hikaru said in her ear.

"Everything's going to be fine. Just be here with us. We'll get you through it." Kaoru gently squeezed the hand that was resting on his left arm.

Katsumi just nodded, her knees dangerously close to giving out. She was never going to make it through this fashion show.

"Hey." Kaoru grabber her chin and made her look up at him. The knots in her stomach began to dissipate the instant she looked into his familiar honey colored eyes. Her best friend was right here. "You can do this. We are right here. We will get you through this, every second of it."

"We won't let you down Katsumi" she heard Hikaru say. "Just rely on us."

"Okay" Katsumi agreed. She might be able to do this with the two of them at her side. They were partners in crime. In the past few weeks the three of them had become inseparable. Any time that wasn't spent at school or with Kyouya was spent with them. Hikaru had finally fully accepted her presence and her friendship with Kaoru. Katsumi got the feeling that sometimes he actually came up with reasons to leave the two of them alone. She didn't understand why. She was fine hanging out with both of them. It wasn't like there was anything going on between the two of them anyway.

Kaoru watched the fear and nervousness dance in Katsumi's green eyes and wished he could do something about it. Unlike Katsumi, he was trying to keep his head right here, because if he let his mind wander, he would think about how she was leaving with Kyouya for a long weekend in Okinawa after the fashion show. He didn't want to think about that, about what they would do there all alone. He had let her go when he realized how much she adored Kyouya, but it still hurt when he thought about her with him. He wanted to hold on to her, hold on to this moment. He'd gotten a lot of time with her the past couple of weeks, and Hikaru had been suspiciously eager to leave the two of them alone, but that didn't change how she felt. This beautiful woman would never be his.

The music began to play and Kaoru released her chin, his hand coming to rest in the pocket of his pants.

"Okay you three. Make me proud!" Yuzuha said to them as the curtain parted.

The crowd cheered as Hikaru, Kaoru, and Katsumi emerged from backstage. Katsumi struggled to quickly put on her best smile. Cameras flashed from all angles as they proceeded down the catwalk and her confidence rose with each step. Before she could even process what was happening they had reached the end. Kyouya caught her eye and gave her an approving nod, letting her know she was doing fine. Takashi gave her one of his rare full face smiles, the one that seem a little too wide for his face. Blowing a kiss in their direction, Katsumi turned with the boys and followed them back up the catwalk.

As soon as they were backstage they were swept up in a whirlwind. Katsumi's clothes were practically ripped off her and new ones shoved on. She could feel the adrenaline pulsing through her body and she reveled in the high. Her nervousness fully dissipated when she was pushed back on to the catwalk alone. Each step was no longer a question, but a statement. She could feel everyone's eyes on her, and instead of feeling shy like she normally would, she adored the attention. Posing at the end of the catwalk, she heard the crowd cheer. The wanted more, more of her.

The rest of the evening proceeded in a blur. If she wasn't walking down the catwalk by herself or with one or both of the boys, she was changing into something else. She had expected to see other models, but half way through the show had the realization that there were no other models, just her, Hikaru and Kaoru. No wonder her fittings took ten hours each.

Before she knew it, it was the very last walk of the night. Yuzuha had dressed her in a long blue kimono, and the boys in matching light blue kimonos. At the end of the catwalk the three of them linked hands, bowing low as Yuzuha emerged from backstage. Cheers erupted from the crowd as the four of them strutted up the catwalk, the curtain falling closed once they reached backstage.

"So?" Hikaru asked Katsumi as she flopped in a chair, resting her feet which she had just realized where horribly aching. "How do you feel?"

"Amazing!" Katsumi exclaimed. "That's such… such…"

"A fucking rush" Kaoru finished her sentence.

"Yeah, a fucking rush." She sighed, letting her head loll back.

"Drink" Yuzuha had suddenly appeared, forcing cold water bottles on the three of them. "Well done, my lovelies. Especially you Katsumi! You did so well for a beginner. Everything looked simply marvelous. And no faux paus! It's a sign, it must be!"

Neither Katsumi nor the twins had enough time to say anything before Yuzuha dashed off again, leaving the three of them in a figurative pile of dust.

"You ready to go meet the paparazzi?" Kaoru asked her.

"They always swarm the back doors after an event like this" Hikaru added.

"Do I have to?" Katsumi groaned.

"Do you want your special weekend with Kyouya senpai or not?" the twins probed in unison.

Katsumi groaned, getting out of her chair. "Fine fine, you win." She waved a hand at them dismissively as she went to go change.

"How are you doing?" Hikaru asked Kaoru. He'd been worried about his brother. After this weekend there was no question about who she belonged to. He was beginning to worry that Kaoru would never have a chance with her.

"I'm fine Hikaru. I had a great time. You know I've always loved modeling in Mom's shows."

"Yeah but…"

"Drop it. I don't want to talk about her."

"Kaoru…"

"Hikaru, what part of drop it don't you understand?" Hikaru paled a bit at his brother's glare. Kaoru was really hurting and he wasn't even willing to share it with him.

"Miss Katsumi?" There was a knock at her dressing room door.

"Yes, what is it?" she asked, slipping her shirt over her head.

"There's a gentleman here to see you." It was probably Kyouya. "I didn't want to let him back here, but he was so… big…" Katsumi frowned. Definitely not Kyouya. Who could it be? Takashi senpai?

Quickly tugging on her shoes Katsumi darted out of her dressing room. She nearly ran into the wall of flesh that was Takashi Morinozuka.

"Oh, hi senpai. Did you like the show?" she asked him. She glanced around for Hani senpai but he was nowhere in sight.

Mori nodded. "You looked happy" he observed.

"I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. It's quite an adrenaline high." Takashi knew a thing or two about the adrenaline high she was talking about. He got one every time he knew he was going to be near here. He wasn't sure why he had come back here. He had only known that he had to see her.

"Did I look okay out there?" Katsumi rubbed the back of her neck nervously. Hopefully there hadn't been some major wardrobe malfunction.

"Beautiful" Takashi answered. She felt her cheeks heat as a blush covered her entire face. He had thought she was beautiful.

"Where's Hani senpai?" she asked, glancing around Takashi to see if he was hiding behind him or something. Takashi's face went pale. "You left him?" Katsumi asked, stifling a giggle. She couldn't believe that Takashi senpai had left Hani senpai behind and not even realized it.

Takashi felt horribly embarrassed. He had no idea where Mitsukuni was. As soon as the show was over he had gotten up from his seat and headed for backstage. He had even ignored Mitsukuni's question about where he was going. He had only known that he had to see her. Takashi passed a hand over his eyes. He was such a horrible companion, so easily distracted by a girl. Not just any girl though, a girl that was a hurricane to his gust of wind. He could never compare to her.

"Here Takashi senpai, let's go find Hani senpai. I bet he's with Haruhi, Kyouya and Tamaki senpai up front." Grabbing his hand, Katsumi dragged the still stunned Takashi along behind her. He was aware of only two things, her hand in his, and the fact that he had done something he'd never done before. He had put someone above Mitsukuni. What did that even mean?

When Katsumi pulled Takashi senpai around the corner, Haruhi, Hani senpai and Tamaki senapi waved at them. Before she knew it she was covered in a mound of people.

"You looked so cute Katsuchan!" Hani senpai exclaimed, his arms wrapped around her waist.

"You looked just like a princess up there!" Tamaki said, holding her head tightly to his chest.

"Guys, I can't breathe" Katsumi mumbled into Tamaki.

"Come on guys, give her some breathing room" Haruhi insisted, tugging Tamaki away from her.

"There you are Takashi!" Hani senpai exclaimed, grabbing on to Takashi's free arm. It was at that moment Takashi realized he was still holding Katsumi's hand. Blushing a deep shade of red he dropped it, bringing his hand up to awkwardly rub the back of his neck. Mitsukuni glanced up at Takashi's face, then to Katsumi's face, then back to Takashi's. He'd never seen Takashi look like that before. He'd never seen Takashi look at anyone the way he looked at her. Then it clicked. She's why Takashi had just left him. He frowned. Takashi had never put anyone above him before. What did this mean for him?

Kyouya had also noticed their interlinked hands. He was about to say something, when Katsumi's eyes met his. He could see relief wash over her face. Suddenly he was hit so hard by a wall of flesh that he staggered back. Katsumi had wrapped her arms around his neck and held him tightly to her.

"Are you ready to go?" he whispered in her ear.

"Please" she whispered back, clutching him tightly.

"Hey, you made it."

"Yeah, and I had fun. But now I'm just ready to have a relaxed weekend with you."

Kyouya smirked. He wasn't sure how relaxing it was going to be.

"I think I'm going to take Katsumi with me" Kyouya said, moving her to stand at his side with his arm around her waist.

"You two go have a good time." Haruhi came and gave her a tight hug. "You did wonderfully tonight. I'll see you at school." Then she whispered in her ear "I better get all the details."

"You will" Katsumi answered with a smile, but butterflies were dancing in her stomach. She gave one last wave to all her friends before she followed Kyouya out the door.

The second they were outside Katsumi was bombarded by reporters.

"Miss Horishito, how do you feel after your first show?"

"What was your favorite outfit that you wore tonight?"

"Who is this? Is this your boyfriend?"

"What are you doing with Ootori Kyouya?"

"She has no comment" Kyouya answered simply, grabbing her by her upper arm and gently leading her over to the Ootori family limo.

Once inside Katsumi sighed and leaned her head back against the patented leather seats. She couldn't believe that after all that preparation the fashion show was finally over. Her first show. There would be more. But for now, it was over, and she felt victorious.

"Ready to go to Okinawa?" Kyouya asked her, shifting in his seat so he was facing her.

Katsumi nodded. "I'm ready to get away from reality for a while."

Kyouya took her in his arms, holding her close to him. He had never felt this way about anyone before. Never before had he liked a person enough to want to make them his completely. He rested his chin on top of her head, taking in her sweet scent. He was never going to let her go.

"And this is one of your SMALLER homes?" Katsumi asked incredulously. The dining room could seat at least thirty people, and there were twenty something bedroom suites. In fact she was sure the dining room was bigger than her whole house, well, her mother's house.

"Well we don't use this summer home much, so we kept it pretty small" Kyouya said coolly, as if it was no big deal.

"Kyouya… how rich are you?"

"Should I tell you a dollar amount, or how many countries we could buy?" Katsumi paled. She knew Kyouya was rich but… this was a whole new level.

"Neither's fine. I think I get the picture."

"Mister Ootori, Miss Horishito, I will take your bags to your rooms." A butler appeared from the kitchen area and bowed.

"One room. We'll be sharing one" Kyouya answered him.

"As you wish sir." Before Katsumi could even blink her bag was taken from her hand and the butler had disappeared.

"You have… quite an efficient staff" Katsumi remarked.

"Of course we do. The Ootori family only hires the best. Would you like to see where we'll be staying?" Katsumi just nodded. The plane flight to Okinawa had taken over two hours and she felt totally sapped of all energy. She took Kyouya's hand and allowed him to lead her back to the bedroom.

"This is the bedroom I always stay in when I come here" Kyouya told her as he opened the door. The room was very spacious, with a wardrobe against the right wall, a table with chairs around it in the middle, and the bed to the left side. There was a door to her immediate left, she figured that must be the bathroom. "What do you think?"

"It's comfortable" Katsumi said, taking a few steps into the room. She could picture Kyouya here, asleep in the bed, sitting in the chairs. By letting her stay here with him, it almost felt like he was sharing something special with her. "I can see you here. It feels like you."

"It feels like me, hm?"

"It reminds me of a space that you would be in" Katsumi tried to explain.

Kyouya felt his hands begin to shake. He had been nervous the whole plane ride, but now they were actually here. He had spent the whole time brainstorming how he was going to initiate, how he was going to make her feel comfortable, but now, standing in his room, his mind went totally blank. They were alone, there was nothing holding them back, and he had no idea what he was going to do.

Katsumi turned around to face him, reaching up to brush some stray hair out of his eyes. She felt the nerves dance in her stomach, every inch of her skin aware of how close she was to him. Was he feeling this too? He had his cool stoic expression on, she couldn't read him. He tried to steady his hand as he reached up to adjust his glasses. Before he could overthink his actions, Kyouya leaned down and pressed his lips to hers.

Katsumi lost herself in him. Her arms twined themselves around his neck, pulling him even closer to her. Kyouya tried to slow down his racing heart beat as he rested his hands on her lower back, holding her against him. He was trying desperately to hold on to his cool. He was getting too caught up in what was going to happen, and not enjoying the moment. Katsumi ran her tongue over his lower lip, asking for entrance. Kyouya melted into her, tangling his tongue with hers. Everything would work out, all he had to worry about was making sure she was writhing in pleasure.

Kyouya ripped his mouth away from hers, tugging on her hair to tilt her head back. He bit her neck, causing Katsumi to gasp. He smirked. This was more like it. Katsumi felt her knees turn to jelly. How did he know exactly how to touch her?

Kyouya brought her mouth back to his in another searing kiss, reaching down and fingering the hem of her shirt, silently asking permission. She raised her arms, their lips only parting long enough to slide the t shirt over her head. She could feel Kyouya's hands, warm and firm on the bare skin of her back. She could feel a fire licking through her veins, moving farther through her body with every kiss, every touch. Kyouya began to walk forward, guiding her back towards the bed. When the back of her knees hit it she fell back, staring up at him. She felt her insides squirm with desire when she saw the smirk on his face. He began to slowly unbutton his shirt, his hands no longer shaking now. Kyouya could see the desire in her eyes, and he knew his were just as dark and clouded with lust. He rolled his shoulders back, allowing his shirt to fall off and drop to the floor.

With his shirt off he pinned her beneath him on the bed. He had been in a position like this before, but this time it was different. Katsumi gently ran one hand down his chest to his waistband, causing him to shudder in pleasure. Her touch was so soft. As she was undoing Kyouya's belt, he kissed along her neck and collar bone, lightly nipping and licking there, causing her to squirm and writhe beneath him. There was the reaction he was looking for.

Katsumi knew he was teasing her. Well, two could play at that game. She pressed her palm to the front of his pants, feeling the large bulge there and causing Kyouya to moan into her neck. Kyouya then let out a growl, grabbing her hand and pinning it above her head.

"I don't think so" he whispered in her ear, causing her to shiver with delight. He certainly knew how to take charge. Reaching behind her, Kyouya undid her bra in one tug. Katsumi was impressed, and honestly he was pretty impressed with himself. Throwing it to the side, not caring where it landed, Kyouya began his assault on her breasts. Katsumi's back arched in pleasure as Kyouya wrapped his lips around her left nipple. A gush of wetness flooded her panties as he continued his ministrations on first one breast, then the other, taking his time to thoroughly pleasure her. Kyouya gently bit her right nipple, which caused Katsumi to cry out. The twitching of his covered member against her stomach was a clear give away of his impatience. Katsumi tried to move her hand, but Kyouya held her wrist tight. He was in charge here.

Lifting himself off her, Kyouya stood by the side of the bed. His pants were clearly strained in the front. Katsumi scrambled to get on her knees, unbuttoning and unzipping his pants and letting them drop to his ankles. Her turn to tease. Kyouya watched as she lightly licked above the waistline of his boxers. He shuddered and Katsumi smirked. She slowly inched his boxers down his legs, letting them join his pants at his ankles.

He was beautiful, and large. How was she ever going to fit that inside her? She'd never had anything larger than his fingers there. Reaching her hand out she began to lightly stroke his member, causing him to drop his head back and moan. There was no comparison, her hands definitely felt better than his own. Kyouya brought his hand to the back of her head, gently guiding her to suck on him. Katsumi got the message moved in to take the head in her mouth, swirling her tongue along the tip. He let out a guttural growl, gripping her hair tightly. Her vaginal muscles throbbed at the sound of him growling. Never in her life had she ever felt subservient to anyone, but she was sure she would've done whatever Kyouya had asked of her.

After a moment he tapped the back of her head, signaling for her to stop. "Your turn" he whispered, pushing her to lie down once more. He nearly ripped her pants and underwear off her body, revealing her hot and swollen sex. "Is this all for me?" he asked, already knowing the answer. Katsumi was only able to nod, too wrapped up in the pleasure and smoothness of his voice to be able to form any words. He kneeled at the end of the bed, lifting her thighs and resting them on his shoulders. Removing his glasses, he placed light kisses along the inside of her thighs. Katsumi groaned. The anticipation was killing her.

Spreading her lips, he gently blew on her womanhood, causing Katsumi to mewl and squirm in pleasure. God how Kyouya loved that sound. He had her exactly where he wanted her. He licked along her entire slit, spending extra time on her clit, causing Katsumi to jump and shriek. Inserting two fingers Kyouya searched for her G spot while still using his tongue to pleasure her clit. At one point Katsumi cried out. 'There it is' he thought, teasing that spot on her walls.

She could feel it building in her lower stomach, she was going to cum. She gripped the sheets, searching for purchase, but nothing could prepare her for what happened next. Her muscles clamped tight on his fingers and she squirted. A small scream escaped her lips as her body writhed on his bed. After a moment she stopped squirming and lay there panting.

"So you're a squirter, are you?" Kyouya asked her, getting up from his knees.

"I've never-" She was cut off by his fingers on her lips. He wanted her to lick off her juices.

"Just for me then" Kyouya's normally grey eyes were so dark they were almost completely black. Almost demon like. "I like that." Leaning down he pulled a condom out of the back pocket of his pants. He ripped it open and rolled it down his cock.

"Are you ready?" he asked, climbing on top of her once more.

"Yes, are you?"

"More than ready to make you all mine" he whispered in her ear. Lifting her right thigh, he aligned himself with her opening. Slowly he inserted himself, letting out a low moan at the feeling of being completely surrounded by her. Once he was completely inside, he stopped, giving Katsumi time to adjust to his size. After a moment she nodded, and he began to move.

He used long slow strokes, stimulating every part of her at once. Katsumi wrapped her arms around him, desperate to hold him closer to her. She began to move her hips in synch with his, twisting them every time they met. Kyouya buried his head in her neck, kissing and licking there. He could feel her, all of her, along the length of his body. He hissed as he felt Katsumi's nails lightly scratch down his back.

Getting up on his knees he lifted her hips, regaining his control. He moved at a much faster pace now, and Katsumi could do nothing but moan and writhe under him. He loved watching her squirm. Using one hand to hold up her hips, he pressed the thumb of the other to her clit, causing her to cry out in pleasure.

"That's right" he moaned. "Moan for me Katsumi."

Hearing him moan her name was the beginning of the end for her. Her vaginal muscles began to spasm as an orgasm built in her stomach. Kyouya was close too, it was building at the base of his cock. He wasn't going to last much longer.

"Cum for me" he moaned, picking up the pace. That was her undoing. She let out a scream as she came harder than she ever had before, her muscles tightly squeezing his cock. Kyouya let out a noise that was caught somewhere between a growl and a groan as his cock pulsed inside her, spurting cum inside the condom.

Kyouya rolled over and lay next to her, holding her in his arms. They were both panting, trying to regain their breath and mental function. After a few moments, Kyouya got up and slipped the condom off, tossing it in the trash. He stared down at Katsumi for a moment. She was so beautiful. He couldn't believe what they had just done. She was his now. He had a realization standing there and watching her that he never wanted to do that with anyone else, only her. He grabbed his glasses off the nightstand and lay down next to her again.

"How was that?" he asked her.

"Amazing" she mumbled sleepily, snuggling against him.

"Looks like I did make you scream" Kyouya whispered in her ear. Katsumi let out a light laugh.

"I love you" the words were out of his mouth before he had the chance to stop them. "You don't have to say it back. I just wanted you to know how I feel."

Katsumi responded by turning around, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling his mouth back to hers. She couldn't tell him the same thing quite yet, but at the very least she could show him all he meant to her. It was going to be his turn to scream.

 _Okay my lovelies, hope you enjoyed! I always love reviews!_

 _Much love_

 _Kat_


	10. Chapter 10

Katsumi sat at a table at the back of Music Room 3. It was just a normal Wednesday. She had already prepared the tea for this round of guests and was waiting to gather up the dirty dishes that needed washing. She glanced up at the clock. It would be another twenty minutes until it was time for this round of guests to leave. Reaching into her backpack she fished out her copy of Brave New World. Takashi senpai had recommended this to her when she had told him that she liked dystopian novels. It was definitely unlike anything she had ever read. With all of the sex and drugs it was about the exact opposite of 1984, her current favorite. There was some sex in that too, but nothing like this. Despite her recent weekend tryst with Kyouya, Katsumi still considered herself quite innocent. Some chapters took one or two read-throughs for her to understand what was really going on. A few scenes had actually managed to make her blush. Besides those parts, she actually liked the book quite a bit. She was excited to talk with Takashi about it once she'd finished, and find out what he liked so much about the book.

"Hey Katsumi, what're you reading?" Kaoru asked her. Katsumi had been so focused on her book that she jumped nearly a foot in the air.

"Don't scare me like that! You'll give me a heart attack," she demanded, holding one hand over her heart and setting the book face down on the table.

"Sorry." Kaoru chuckled at her over dramatization. "Seriously though, what're you reading?"

"It's called Brave New World. Takashi senpai gave it to me last week when I went over to do homework."

"Is it for class or something? I thought we were reading A Midsummer Night's Dream." Kaoru furrowed his brow in confusion. Was there some book report he was totally unaware of?

"No it's not for class. It's for fun. I rather like reading, you know," Katsumi teased. Kaoru breathed a sigh of relief.

"You still have to read that manga I told you to read, with the character that reminds me of Kyouya senpai," Hikaru cut in as walked over, resting his arm on Kaoru's shoulder.

"You mean Black Butler? The one about the demon? Come on guys, that's not nice," Katsumi fixed him with a glare.

"For the last time, I don't sound like the demon from that anime! I don't know where you get that sort of nonsense!" Kyouya yelled from across the room. Katsumi sighed. Apparently Kyouya had been eavesdropping again. All the girls at Kyouya's table twittered with laughter.

"I don't know Kyouya," one of them said. "I think he sounds rather sexy. His voice is all smooth like yours."

"While I greatly appreciate the compliment, I can say with certainty that I am no demon." Kyouya flashed them all a brilliant smile. Katsumi snorted, rolled her eyes, and turned her attention back to her book. She knew that smile. It was the one he put on when he felt he had to smile, the one that was meant to dazzle.

"Oh come on, don't ignore us!" the twins said in unison.

"Don't you have guests to see to?" Katsumi asked, not raising her eyes from the page she was reading.

"So?" Hikaru asked. "To be honest we like you better."

"Don't let them hear you say that," Katsumi warned. "These girls can get crazy."

As soon as the sentence had left Katsumi's mouth, the double doors to the music room burst open. It was Kotoko Yamada, one of Kyouya's regular guests. She looked furious. Marching straight up to Kyouya's table, she slammed a newspaper down, spilling tea everywhere. Katsumi sighed and went to go get the mop.

"Explain this!" Kotoko shrieked, pointing to the front page. Kyouya glanced up at his regular guest. She was trembling with rage and her whole face was red. What could he possibly have done to make her this angry?

The other hosts gathered around behind Kyouya to read the newspaper that Kotoko had thrown down in front of him. Kyouya picked up the paper, shook it out, and read the title of the article.

HITACHIIN MODEL AND YOUNGEST OOTORI SHARE HOT WEEKEND IN OKINAWA

Below the headline were pictures of him and Katsumi. One showed them holding hands on his private beach, another showed them locked in an embrace, his lips on hers. Kyouya closed his eyes and pressed a hand to his forehead. He had been worried about this. He had wanted minimal staff at the beach so they would have less people in their way, but it looks like he should've brought extra security. He had been so wrapped up in her that he hadn't even noticed the cameras. All the color drained from his face. Had his father seen the front page? What was he going to say?

When Katsumi returned a moment later with the mop, she was thoroughly confused by the spectacle in front of her. Kyouya sat there white faced with his head in his hands. The twins kept glancing from the newspaper in Kyouya's hands to her then back again. Tamaki stood there with his hand over his mouth and Hani senpai was getting on his tiptoes to read over everyone's shoulders. What did that newspaper even say anyway?

"So? What's the big news?" Katsumi asked, moving to stand behind Kyouya with the rest of the hosts so she could read the headline. It took a few minutes for the words to really sink in. She had been followed, someone had followed them to Okinawa. A lead ball dropped into her stomach. This girl was mad at Kyouya because of her. They were in the newspaper. What if Kyouya's father had seen it? She felt her cheeks turn the color of a tomato.

"It's you…" Kotoko said, studying Katsumi carefully. "You're the girl in the pictures! You bitch, you stole him from me! I can't believe that you're a model. I don't know what he sees in you."

Katsumi shrunk back a little, her back bumping into the twins. They each rested one hand protectively on her shoulders. She was used to standing up to boys but she'd never had a girl scream at her like this before.

"She didn't steal me from anyone," Kyouya answered, his cool mask back on. He stood up and adjusted his glasses.

"But… but Kyo… I thought that we were…" Kotoko stuttered, tears forming in her eyes.

"We were not," Kyouya said simply. Honestly he was relieved to have an excuse to rebuff her. She had become increasingly possessive which was hurting his business with his other clients. "She and I, on the other hand, are very much together." He took her hand in his, gently tugging Katsumi to his side. Katsumi ducked her head so that she didn't have to see the hurt and betrayal in Kotoko's eyes. She felt embarrassed and just wanted to sit and process this whole incident for a while but it looked like she wasn't going to get that chance.

Kotoko reached up and slapped Kyouya across the face. He acted unphased, simply adjusting his glasses which had been knocked slightly askew.

"We don't tolerate any violence in our club, princess." Tamaki gently grabbed her arm and tugged her away from Kyouya. "I'm afraid we're going to have to ask you to leave."

"I can't believe you'd do this to me Kyouya!" Kotoko yelled as she was being escorted out. The twins shut the doors behind her, leaning against them and breathing a sigh of relief.

As soon as she was gone Kyouya's phone buzzed in his pocket. Pulling it out he winced slightly. Only Katsumi noticed and she squeezed his hand reassuringly.

"Katsumi, it's my father. I have to take this." He released her hand and walked over to the other side of the room, talking softly and quietly.

"Alright princesses, we're closing the club for the rest of the day so we can deal with this in house matter," Tamaki said, ushering the girls toward the door. "We will see all of you lovely ladies tomorrow."

The girls waved and said their goodbyes to their respective hosts, pouting as they walked out the door. As soon as they were gone Katsumi plopped down on a couch, raking her fingers through her hair.

"You going to be alright?" Kaoru asked her, taking a seat beside her. Katsumi just nodded, adjusting so her head was resting on his shoulder. Just breathing in the scent of her best friend was comforting. Haruhi sat on her other side, taking one of Katsumi's hands in hers. Katsumi glanced over at Kyouya. He was nervous, she could tell by his posture. What was his father saying?

"Kyouya, you should've told me things with this girl were that serious," Mr. Ootori lectured.

"Yes Father, I-" Kyouya began, but he was cut off.

"I enjoyed meeting her a few weeks ago. Why have you not brought her back to the house so I can speak with her further?" Kyouya breathed a slight sigh of relief. So his father had liked her after all.

"I can bring her to dinner," Kyouya offered.

"Yes, do that. This weekend."

"I'll bring her on Saturday."

"Very good. I look forward to getting to know her better. After all this publicity, you understand my expectation, yes?"

Kyouya pinched the bridge of his nose. He knew what his father was getting at. He expected them to become engaged.

"Father, I'm not sure if she's-" he started.

"I will see you both on Saturday for dinner." The line then went dead. Sighing, Kyouya shut his phone and placed it back in his pocket. How was he going to talk to Katsumi about all this? Turning around he saw Katsumi's head on Kaoru's shoulder. What were they doing? Were they like this all the time? Was she cheating on him with Kaoru? It would be easy for her to do that. They lived in the same house after all…

Katsumi interrupted his train of thought by coming over and wrapping her arms around his neck.

"So what did your dad say?" she asked him.

"He wants us to come for dinner on Saturday," Kyouya answered simply.

"He does? Did he see the paper?"

Kyouya just nodded.

"Are you in trouble?"

"No, surprisingly I am not in trouble." Kyouya opened his mouth to tell her about the engagement requirement his father had for them, but he quickly shut it again. This wasn't the time or place to have that discussion with her. He just closed his eyes and placed a kiss on her forehead. How was he even going to bring that up?

Katsumi lay on the floor of the Morinozuka family dojo, her math homework spread out in front of her. Lately she and Takashi had taken to meeting twice a week. Their meetings were a mix of sparring and homework. Sometimes one day was all sparring and one was homework, and sometimes the two days were a mix of the two. Today had started out as a homework day but the numbers on the page in front of her were starting to become intelligible squiggles.

"I don't know how much longer I can do this, Takashi senpai."

Takashi sat in a corner reading a book, his homework already completed. He'd been enjoying his biweekly meetings with Katsumi. Sometimes they would spar, sometimes they would do homework. It always made him feel good when he was able to help her with something she didn't understand. He watched as she groaned, biting the end of her pencil before rolling over and giving up. Her rolling over had raised her shirt slightly, revealing part of her midriff. He noticed how pale and smooth her skin looked and his hands itched to touch it.

"You can get it," he reassured her, giving her a small smile before returning his eyes to his book. He was reading 1984, Katsumi's favorite book, even though he'd read it before. They did a book exchange last week and since it had been a few years he decided to read it again. He had forgotten how much this book creeped him out.

Katsumi groaned and rolled over again. "They've just turned into intelligible squiggles Takashi senpai. I can't make heads of tails of them. I don't get this integral thing they're trying to teach us."

"Integration isn't so bad. It's differentiation backwards," he answered simply.

"Gee thanks a lot," Katsumi said flatly. "That really cleared things up for me. It all makes perfect sense now. The clouds have parted. It's like magic! It's-"

"Alright, I'll come help you." Takashi lifted himself off the ground, leaving his book on the side of the dojo. At this point in the evening Satoshi and his father had finished practicing so they had the dojo to themselves. Both of them were rather fond of Katsumi, who usually was able to knock Satoshi senseless. Takashi, on the other hand, she had never beaten again. He sat cross legged next to her and picked up her homework, glancing it over.

"Here." Takashi grabbed a pencil and wrote the solution to the problem she was currently working on. "Does that help?"

"No," Katsumi sighed, resting her head on Takashi's leg. Takashi, quite unaware of what he should do in this case, awkwardly patted her head.

"You'll get it eventually," he offered.

"I hate math," Katsumi mumbled into his thigh. "Can we spar instead? Maybe that'll help me clear my head."

Takashi nodded and gathered her books and papers in his arms, dumping them to the side of the dojo by his book. Neither of them were dressed to spar, but Takashi didn't care much. He would do just about anything for her, anything she asked. She had him wrapped around her finger.

Katsumi shifted into fighting stance. She knew she and Takashi weren't dressed for sparring, but she didn't care. She was so angry at her math and at herself for not being able to understand something that seemed so simple to everyone else. She had to get this out of her system somehow.

The rage boiled in her veins as she lashed out, jumping up to kick Takashi. Grabbing her foot he pushed her back. She barely managed to land on her feet. She steadied herself for a second before lashing out at his legs. He just dodged out of the way. He wasn't even trying.

Takashi noticed how sloppily she was fighting. She was angry about something, probably at her math. He remembered how long it had taken him to understand integration. Sparring had always helped him. She glared at him when her eyes met. He sighed. She could tell he was going easy on her.

"Come on Takashi senpai! Fight me!" Katsumi insisted. Takashi narrowed his eyes. Alright, he'd fight her.

Takashi kicked, and Katsumi was barely able to jump back in time. He reached over and grabbed her shoulder, pressing on a pressure point and forcing her down to her knees. It was a beautiful picture, her on her knees in front of him. He shook his head slightly to clear it. When they were sparring was not the time to think about… that!

While he had been distracted, Katsumi had grabbed his left leg, twisting it and making him fall. Fuck, he had to be more careful. On the whole she was getting a lot better. This fight was a draw.

He sat on the ground, staring at her for a moment. Suddenly she burst out laughing. Her laugh was infectious. After a moment, Takashi found himself laughing right along with her. They didn't stop for nearly five minutes. By the time they calmed down, Katsumi was almost in tears.

"Thanks Takashi senpai. That really helped. I feel a lot better."

"Sure, no problem."

She wrapped her arms around him in a hug. He felt her body against his, could feel the heat of her through his clothes. He gently wrapped his arms around her back. It was getting harder and harder for him to be around her lately. She was like quicksand, drawing him deeper and deeper under each minute. She had taken over his mind. He thought about her all the time. He had even begun to write stories about her, what he thought she was like with the other boys, what it would be like for them to be together. He blushed, remembering a story he was working on last night. He'd have to toss that one in the shredder.

He really was an honorable guy, and sometimes he hated the way he thought about her. She was more than just a piece of meat for him to drool over. She was his friend. And she was Kyouya's. He should have nothing to do with her. He shouldn't think about her this way. But here she was, at his dojo, in his arms, and he had the strong desire to kiss her.

As she pulled away, everything seemed to move in slow motion. He had turned his head slightly towards hers, so as she pulled back her nose brushed against his. She could feel his breath on her mouth. She wanted to move back, but felt frozen in place, the butterflies in her stomach having a paralytic effect on her whole body.

Before he realized what he was doing, Takashi leaned in and pressed his lips to hers.

Takashi felt lost, as if he were drowning in her. Her lips felt so soft under his own, so warm. He could slightly make out her taste, a hot, savory, sweetness that danced on the tip of his tongue. Pressing his hands into her lower back he pulled her closer, needing to have her near him. This is what he had wanted for the past month and a half. Her, just her.

Katsumi felt frozen. As soon as his lips made contact with hers it felt as if the butterflies in her stomach had started to explode. She hadn't known he felt this way about her. This was different than anything she had experienced before. He wasn't controlling and demanding, but he wasn't hesitant either. His hands gently moved along her back, his lips softly molding to hers. It was like he was asking permission with each movement, while at the same time knowing exactly what he wanted. It was very different than Kyouya… Kyouya!

Katsumi pushed back against Takashi's shoulders. "What the hell Takashi senpai?!"

Takashi was lost for words. He shouldn't have done that. She was Kyouya's. What had gotten into him? "I-" he began, not quite sure what he was going to say. He ruined it. He ruined their friendship.

"I can't… Takashi I can't do this." Katsumi took her head in her hands. "I can't do that to Kyouya. I'm not like that! I'm not." She felt tears come into her eyes.

"I know. I-" he began again.

"I like you too, okay? I like you a lot. But this… this can't be. I… love him." Now, Katsumi wasn't quite sure if that was true, but she had to say something. She adored Kyouya, and was still very sure that she wanted to be with him. She had noticed his clinginess increasing lately, but as long as that didn't become a problem, she knew she would never leave his side. She got to her feet, backing away from Takashi.

"We can still spar, can't we?" he asked, desperate to at least keep her as his friend. He hadn't missed the part where she said she liked him too, but he understood her loyalty, and that came first.

"I… Takashi I don't know." Katsumi bit her lip. She wanted to keep sparring with him. She really valued their friendship, but she wasn't sure if this changed anything.

"This won't happen again. I promise. I can control myself." He got up as well, standing there stiffly with his hands in his pockets. He felt horrible about what he had just done. He had kissed his friend without her permission, touched another man's woman. He rested his hand on his forehead. What was he going to do about all these impure thoughts? To his credit, not all of them were impure. He enjoyed the thought of them doing things together. He often thought about them cooking, going on dates, and going swimming. Then every once and a while these other thoughts would creep into his head and get a strangle hold on him. He wanted her as his own, he knew that. He would just have to deal with having her as his friend while she belonged to someone else.

"I… oh okay. I need the practice. But this really can't happen again, alright? I'm going to have a hard enough time talking to Kyouya about this as it is."

"Is he going to stop you from coming?" Takashi asked worriedly. He could see Kyouya doing that. He knew he could control himself and keep their relationship to just a friendship. Just as long as he still got to see her…

"He can't. I'm my own person and I'll do what I want. As long as you won't try anything again, I'll keep coming. It's not like he's going to make me choose between him and my friends. I trust you, Takashi. You're one of my dearest friends. Don't let me down." Katsumi gave him a soft smile.

"I won't. Katsumi," he grabbed her wrist as she was heading over to gather up her homework, "I'm really sorry."

"Me too Takashi senpai. Me too." As she packed up her things she started to become really worried about what Kyouya would say about all this. It's not like she had kissed him first. She had stopped him, told him that this could never happen again. Kyouya couldn't get mad at her for that, could he? Her stomach twisted in nervousness. How on earth was she going to tell him?


	11. Chapter 11

"I'm going to fuck it up" Katsumi was staring at herself in the mirror as the twins busied themselves around her, helping her get ready for dinner with Kyouya's father. Yuzuha had equipped Katsumi's room with several floor length mirrors. It reminded Katsumi of a clothing store. However, the room was gorgeous and Yuzuha had outdone herself. Swathed in purple and black without feeling dark and depressing, the room captured Katsumi's style perfectly. There was a king bed, a desk, a vanity filled with beauty products she'd never use, a brand new television she'd hardly ever use, and the bathroom… Katsumi had nearly fainted when she saw it. She had told Yuzuha it was too much, but she had insisted a model needed a bathroom to relax in. With a waterfall shower, jetted tub big enough for two people, and marble counter tops Katsumi couldn't believe she'd have it all to herself.

"You're not going to fuck it up" Hikaru reassured her, weaving several strands of her hair together into some intricate hairdo. The tugging pulled Katsumi out of her thoughts as she attempted to focus on what the twins were trying to do to her.

"He's going to love you!" Kaoru insisted as he attempted to fix her eye makeup. "Katsumi hold still damn it!"

"I don't know about love" Sighing, Katsumi attempted to hold herself as still as a statue, but she was so nervous. Would Mr. Otori like her? Was what she was wearing appropriate? The twins had stuck her in the black lace dress Kyouya had bought for her after the first date. Katsumi had settled on the necklace herself, the sapphire and diamond one that Kyouya had told her was a family heirloom. Yuzuha had provided a pair of shoes, six inch black heels, which were promptly rejected and replaced with a nice pair of black wedges.

"Okay, true, but he'll at least tolerate you" Kaoru offered her his dazzling smile, but Katsumi knew him too well. That was the smile he put on to impress others when he couldn't actually smile. He was just trying to reassure her.

"Go on, stand up," Hikaru insisted once Kaoru had finished with the makeup. "Let's see how you look."

Carefully, so as not to fall, Katsumi stood and examined herself in the mirrors. Kaoru had applied the makeup perfectly, making her green eyes look huge and round and her cheekbones high and proud. Hikaru had twisted her hair into a bun that looked like a rose, while half of it was still cascading down her upper back. The dress fit her as nicely as it had the first time she wore it. Overall she thought she looked very sophisticated, but she was sure Mr. Otori would never see her that way.

Kaoru whistled. "Damn," he mumbled. Ever since she had gone to spend the weekend with Kyouya he had tried to bury his feelings for her. Usually it worked and he was able to just see her as a friend but other times those feelings would resurface. Like every time she touched him, or looked at him, or… oh, who was he kidding. He hadn't buried them at all, just had gotten better at hiding them. Katsumi turned on her heels and turned to face him, raising her eyebrow.

"What was that?" she asked suspiciously.

"Nothing" Kaoru grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck. "You just look nice is all."

"Thanks. I hope Kyouya think so too." She stepped off the slightly raised platform in front of the mirrors and kissed Kaoru on the cheek. "Excuse me boys, I'll be right back." With that she disappeared into the bathroom.

"Ugh" Kaoru ran his hands through his hair, his blood boiling in his veins. "How does she always do that?"

"Do what?" Hikaru asked.

"Drive me absolutely crazy."

"Been asking the same thing about Haruhi for the past seven months." Hikaru's eyes met Kaoru's and the brothers knew they were feeling the same thing, just about different women.

A moment later Katsumi emerged from the bathroom. She saw the boys sharing a glance. "What's going on in here? Should I leave you two alone?" she asked sarcastically.

"Nah we'd much rather have you with us, especially with you dressed like that" Hikaru raised his eyebrows suggestively, but Kaoru just blushed. Why did Hikaru always have to make things so sexual? Especially when he knew how Kaoru felt. Katsumi rolled her eyes. She had opened her mouth to say something witty in reply when the butler knocked on the door.

"Young masters, Mr. Otori is here to retrieve Miss Horishito." Hikaru and Kaoru nodded at him in unison, giving him the silent signal that he was dismissed.

"Right on time." Katsumi smiled a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. How was she going to talk to him about what happened between her and Takashi senpai yesterday? "Alright boys, I'll see you later. I'll let you know whether I plan on being home tonight or not." Kaoru winced slightly at these words, but Katsumi didn't notice. She kissed them both on the cheek on her way out the door and Kaoru was left rooted in the spot, his heart beating wildly in his chest, his heart belonging to a woman he'll never have.

Kyouya greeted her at the door and handed her into the limo like usual, but something was off. He seemed more rigid than usual, more distant. Katsumi expected him to say something once they had left the Hitachiin estate, but he remained silent, his hand gripping onto hers like a vice. He must be nervous. Katsumi moved her thumb in soothing circles on the back of his hand, trying to relax him, but he stayed tense. The ride to the Otori estate was a quiet one. Katsumi couldn't think of anything to say, and Kyouya didn't even look her way. Had she done something wrong? When they arrived the butler handed Katsumi out of the car, and Kyouya walked over to her, taking her hand in his again and pulling her along. It was only once they were inside that Kyouya spoke.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?" Katsumi asked.

"For my behavior." He was still acting tense, distant. Katsumi got the feeling there was something he hadn't told her.

"Kyouya, what is it?"

"Nothing, I'm just nervous." He reached up to adjust his tie with his free hand.

"Don't feed me that bullshit" Katsumi fixed him with a glare. "There's something you're not telling me. What is it?"

"Not here" Kyouya's eyes glanced around his entrance hall. Servants were walking about doing their jobs. She hadn't thought Kyouya would care about their ears. Whatever it was he didn't want it aired out in front of anyone.

"Then let's go to your room and you can tell me." Katsumi released his hand from her own and crossed her arms. She wasn't backing down.

"There's no time" Kyouya said flatly. She could see his cool mask breaking ever so slightly. Whatever he had to tell her, he certainly didn't want to.

"There's plenty of time. An hour left before dinner. That's why you brought me here early anyway, so we could have some time to ourselves. Besides, there's something I need to talk to you about too."

"I-" Kyouya struggled for words, attempting to back his way out of having to tell her what his father expected from them. However he knew that if he didn't tell her, his father would at dinner, and she would be furious. "Alright fine. Come on."

As they walked he began to wonder what Katsumi had to tell him. Hopefully she wasn't breaking up with him. He paled. What would his father think? What would he do? He loved the woman next to him more than anyone. She was his perfect complement, his Shadow Queen. He could never let her go. The engagement his father proposed is where Kyouya had hoped this would go, but not yet. He expected it too soon. Kyouya sighed. Would it scare Katsumi away?

As soon as the doors shut behind them, Katsumi pulled him down for a kiss. The kiss was deep and long, her tongue dancing with his, making him desire things they had no time for. Relief flitted through his mind. She clearly didn't want to break up with him.

After a moment Katsumi gently moved back and stared into Kyouya's steel grey eyes. Worry filled them, but there was also relief. "So? What's going on?"

Sighing Kyouya took her hand and led her over to the couch. "There's no easy way to tell you this," Kyouya said as she sat down.

"You're not breaking up with me, are you?!" Katsumi's green eyes went wide.

"No, no. I love you. We're definitely not breaking up" Kyouya said definitively.

"So then what is it?" Katsumi asked confused.

Kyouya took his head in his hands. "It's my father."

"Does he not approve?" Katsumi was worried. They were supposed to have dinner with him in about an hour. Why would he ask her to have dinner with them if he didn't approve?

"No, no that's not it" Kyouya sighed again.

"Kyouya just spit it out" Katsumi said flatly.

"An engagement" Kyouya spat out. "My father expects an engagement." Katsumi stayed silent, so he continued. "After all the publicity in the paper, my father expects us to announce our engagement to the public."

"But we're not engaged!"

"He knows that. But that's what he's expecting of us." Kyouya raised his head to look at her. She sat there stock still, staring at him. He couldn't read her eyes. "I love you." Kyouya reached out to place his hand on top of one of hers. "I'm more than willing to do what he asks but-"

"But I'm not ready for that!" Katsumi insisted, pulling her hand away. "I'm not even sure how I feel yet. I mean I like you a lot, but I'm not sure if I want to spend the rest of my life with you yet." She sighed and swallowed. "And there's something I need to tell you."

"Are you cheating on me?" Kyouya asked, picking up the direction her train of thought was going.

"No, it's not like that!"

"It's not like what?" Kyouya clenched his teeth together. He couldn't believe this.

Taking a deep breath, Katsumi continued. "I was with Takashi senpai yesterday. We were sparring. I was really frustrated about something and he helped me. I hugged him to thank him and…"

"And what?" Kyouya practically growled.

"He kissed me." Kyouya immediately bolted up from his seat and began pacing the room. Fearing the worst, Katsumi continued. "It only lasted a second. I pushed him away, told him I couldn't do that. He promised he never would again. It wasn't my fault Kyouya." Katsumi felt like she was begging for his forgiveness when she didn't do anything wrong.

"You let him touch you?"

"He's my friend! I give Hikaru and Kaoru hugs all the time!" Mostly Kaoru, but she glossed over that part.

"And I don't trust them either! I think you should just live with me!" Kyouya fumed.

"I like living with the twins." Katsumi insisted. "Kyouya you can't have me all to yourself. That's not how this works."

"But you're mine!" he practically yelled. "You belong to ME. MY Shadow Queen!"

"Kyouya I don't belong to anyone!" Katsumi's voice rose as she stood.

"You can't see him again except for club activities. I won't allow it."

"You- you won't allow it?!" Katsumi was fuming now. "You can't control me Kyouya. I'm not just some possession. He's my friend and I will see him again Tuesday, and Friday and every Tuesday and Friday after that!" Katsumi took a breath and softened her voice. "Kyouya he promised he wouldn't do it again. I pushed him away from me. Don't you trust me?"

Relaxing a bit, Kyouya came over to her. "I do trust you. It's him I don't trust. Katsumi, you need to make a choice."

"A-a choice? What do you mean?"

"I mean me or Mori-senpai."

"I already chose you! I'm in a relationship with you!" Katsumi answered exasperated. Kyouya was more insecure than he seemed.

"That's not what I meant!" his voice rose.

"You're asking me to choose between my relationship with you, and my friendship with him?!" Katsumi felt her blood boil in her veins. How dare he? He could trust her! She wasn't just some possession he could control and lock away.

Kyouya just nodded.

"Kyouya you can't ask that of me." Katsumi backed away from him. "I won't choose between you and my friends."

"You think I'm going to let you go see him and have him paw all over you again?!" Kyouya yelled. "You're mine!"

"He promised me he wouldn't! He's one of my closest friends! I trust him!" Katsumi yelled back.

"You need to make a choice!"

Suddenly there was a knock at the door.

"Excuse me," The door opened to reveal Kyouya's head security officer, Tachibana, "but Mr. Otori is waiting for the two of you in the dining room. Dinner is served."

"Thank you" Kyouya said tightly, dismissing him with a wave of his hand.

"Kyouya I think we should-" He raised his hand, cutting me off.

"He's expecting us. Remember, you're my fiancé now." Taking her hand Kyouya led her down to the dining hall. Katsumi was furious. She wanted to drop his hand and run out of the mansion, go back home to Kaoru and Hikaru. She wanted to talk to Takashi senpai, she wanted to do anything except be here with Kyouya and his father right now. How dare he ask her to choose between him and one of her best friends? How dare he then presume to think they're going to get engaged? She needed to go home to process everything.

Right outside the dining hall, Kyouya stopped her. "I'm sorry for our argument. We'll talk more about that later. Just know I love you. I'm excited to have you as my wife." Leaning down he placed a kiss on her forehead before signaling to the butler to open the doors. Now Katsumi was just confused. Here was the sweet Kyouya she had known this whole time. However he was still assuming that this engagement was what she wanted. He was assuming she was just going to go along with it. Was it what she wanted? Did she want to be with Kyouya forever? What about Takashi senpai? Was Kyouya worth a life without his friendship?

"Good evening Miss Horishito" she was greeted by the cold voice of Mr. Otori. "It's so good to see you again."

"Good evening, sir" Katsumi bowed low, showing him the proper respect. "You can call me Katsumi, if you would like."

"Katsumi is such a beautiful name" his voice dripped with fake praise. It sounded like he was trying to make a business deal. She supposed in a way, he was: the marriage of his son to someone he thought would bring merit to the family. "Please, sit down"

She was shown to the second seat down on the right hand side of the table. She assumed the first seat would be for Kyouya. A servant moved to pull out her chair.

"No, please let me" Kyouya said, pulling out her chair for her. He really was laying it on think tonight. Did he think she would just forget their argument?

After Kyouya sat down, Mr. Otori turned once again to Katsumi. "I apologize that our first meeting was so short. I did not anticipate how important you are to my son. It seems he places a great deal of value in you."

"I'm glad we have this opportunity to meet again" Katsumi said, being extremely careful with how she worded her phrase.

"As am I." He attempted to smile, but it just sent a shudder through Katsumi. Kyouya turned to her and smiled gently. She could see the resemblance, but Kyouya was fire where this man was ice.

The first course was brought out, but Katsumi didn't pay much attention to what it was. Mr. Otori made her nervous, like a bird of prey circling its victim. No wonder he made so many business deals. He probably intimidated them into it.

"You're an honors student at Ouran, yes?" Mr. Otori asked her.

"Yes, sir, that's correct" Katsumi answered.

"What's your class standing?" he asked.

"Father that's not-" Kyouya began, but he was quickly silenced by a look from his father.

"Second only to my friend Haruhi."

"Fujioka Haruhi, correct?" Mr. Otori asked, his face blank.

"Yes, sir."

"Well you certainly are intelligent. Commoners rarely do well in Ouran classes, even honors students like yourself." Katsumi felt her pulse spike at that comment. What did her status have to do with anything?! She looked at Kyouya who gave a quick, sharp, shake of his head. The message was clear. Say nothing.

"Kyouya says you plan on becoming a neurosurgeon, correct?" Mr. Otori continued.

"Well yes, sir, that is one of several career possibilities I'm pursuing but-"

"Our hospitals can always use more talented neurosurgeons, however once you have children bearing the Otori name you'll need to stop working to ensure they turn out as excellent as my son has." Katsumi detected a hint of condescension in his tone while he was talking about Kyouya. She felt him stiffen next to her, but she was too wrapped up in the other things he had said. Not work after she had children? Just stay at home and take care of them? What century was this?

"You do understand our expectation that you produce Otori heirs?" Mr. Otori continued. "We must have boys to continue our legacy." Talking about her having Kyouya's children when she wasn't sure if she wanted to stay with him… This was becoming far too much. Katsumi looked at her food and her stomach turned. Having to choose between Kyouya and Takashi senpai, a marriage to Kyouya, having children… this was more than she could handle. Kyouya pinched the bridge of his nose when his father mentioned children. His father was definitely going to scare Katsumi away.

"I apologize sir. I don't seem to be feeling well. I think it's best that I go home and we resume this conversation another time." Katsumi stood up from her spot at the table.

"As you wish" Mr. Otori dismissed her with a wave of his hand. "Our driver will take you back home. Thank you for your time Miss Horishito."

"Thank you very much for having me" Katsumi bowed low before practically running out of the room.

"Father-" Kyouya said, his voice strained.

"Kyouya, enough. Did you discuss my expectations with her?"

"Yes Father but-" Mr. Otori cut Kyouya off by raising his hand.

"Then why did she behave so?"

"She's not ready Father. I need more time."

"You will secure this engagement." Mr. Otori turned his steely, icy eyes on Kyouya.

"Yes. Father I want this more than anything. I love her."

"Do you?" Mr. Otori took a sip from his glass. "Love is a useless emotion. None the less, you seem to have chosen a good match, even though she is common. She is, at least, polite. If you feel that way however, go after her. I learned all I needed to know."

"Thank you Father" Kyouya got up from the table and nearly bolted out the door. Yoshio chuckled condescendingly as his son left the room. What a fool he was.

By the time Kyouya reached the front of the mansion Katsumi and his driver had disappeared. He pulled out his phone and attempted to call her. She answered on the second ring.

"Kyouya, I'm sorry"

"What the hell was that?!"

"Kyouya I can't! Children, and engagement! We've been dating a two months. I'm not ready!"

"I'm ready! Katsumi I love you."

"I know you do but…. Kyouya I just, I need to think."

"Think about what?!"

"About what you said earlier, about Takashi senpai, and about what your father said. I just need time to think."

"I'm coming to get you, we'll talk about it."

"No Kyouya."

"Just choose me damnit! You're mine anyway. What is there to think about?"

"Bye Kyouya"

The phone clicked as she hung up. He tried to call her again but it went straight to voice mail. Kyouya yelled and stormed off to his room. He needed to break something.

Hearing his outburst Yoshio laughed. Yes, his son was a fool to believe in love.


	12. Chapter 12

"Should we go in?" Kaoru asked his twin, concern etched across his face. They were standing outside of Katsumi's room. She had come home much earlier than expected and instead of greeting the brothers she had run to her room, slamming the door behind her. Hikaru and Kaoru had gone to check on her but where startled when they heard slightly muffled sobs from the other side of the door.

"I think just you should go" Hikaru answered, patting his brother's back. He tried not to smile. This was the opportunity Kaoru needed. Mr. Otori must have forbidden their relationship. He knew their mother would be thrilled to have Katsumi as a daughter in law, so there was no need to fear rejection here. If he sent his brother in to care for her, he would be one step closer to winning her heart.

"I don't know, Hikaru. She sounds really upset. Maybe we should just leave her alone" Kaoru whispered.

Hikaru shook his head. He was having none of it. "No you go in and check on her. You're her best friend. She needs you right now."

"You're her best friend too" Kaoru retorted.

"But not like you are. Go on!" Before Kaoru could argue, Hikaru opened the door, which Katsumi hadn't looked, and shoved him inside.

Kaoru stood in the doorway, not entirely sure what to say or do. Katsumi lay on her bed, still dressed for her dinner with Mr. Otori. She was sobbing into one of the pillows on her bed, not having noticed Kaoru's entrance.

"Katsumi?" he asked gently, slowly moving over to sit on the edge of the bed. "What happened?"

"Oh Kaoru I'm so confused" she sobbed, not even looking up from her pillow.

"What's so confusing?" He placed his hand on her head, slowly stroking her hair. Her sobs quieted slightly and she sniffled, regaining some control over her emotions. Kaoru was so comforting. He was just who she needed right now.

"It's a long story."

"I have time. It's a long weekend. No school until Wednesday, remember? You can take up my whole weekend if you want." At this Katsumi rolled over and gave him a small smile. Kaoru always had time for her. She was sure she looked awful and that her mascara was running down her face and staining her pillow case, but Kaoru didn't seem to mind.

She took a deep breath. "Yesterday when I was hanging out with Takashi senpai… he kissed me."

"That's not cool" Kaoru answered tightly, attempting to keep a straight face. It seems like he was the only one who she hadn't kissed. He sighed and reminded himself to remain patient. There would be time for that someday. Right now she needed him focused.

"Well I told him that he couldn't do it again. He promised me he wouldn't. I believe him. Takashi senpai doesn't lie" Katsumi said quickly. She still felt like she was apologizing for this, even though what happened wasn't her fault.

"I bet Kyouya senpai didn't like that" Kaoru thought out loud. He paled as soon as he realized what he had said. As soon as the words left his mouth, Katsumi started sobbing again. Great, just great. He groaned. He really knew how to say the right thing, didn't he?

Sniffling, Katsumi once again stopped the sobs. "No, he blamed me. He doesn't want me to see Takashi senpai anymore. He said I have to make a choice."

"Kyouya senpai is asking you to choose between him and your friends?" Kaoru's brow furrowed. That didn't seem right.

Katsumi just nodded. "There's more."

"Go on" Kaoru encouraged. Katsumi sat up and took one of his hands in both of hers, absentmindedly playing with it. Everywhere she touched Kaoru felt heat, but he was desperate to focus on what she was saying.

"Kyouya's father… he's demanding an engagement after all the publicity in the paper."

Kaoru felt his mouth go dry. An engagement? Between Katsumi and Kyouya?

"But Kaoru I'm not ready! I don't know if I want to spend my whole life with Kyouya or not. I don't want to marry for merit, I want to marry for love." Katsumi ducked her head. "And I'm not even sure if I love him."

"What did Kyouya say?" Kaoru asked her.

"He's more than willing to go along with it. He loves me. This is what he wants. I'm just… not sure. Especially after his recent outburst. How can he expect me to choose between my relationship with him and my friendship with Takashi senpai?!" The tears started flowing again. Kaoru took his hand out of hers and wrapped his arms around her. She sobbed into his shirt, staining it with her makeup, but Kaoru didn't care. Cogs and gears were turning in his mind.

"You need to get away and have some time to think. My mom is going to France tonight to meet one of her clients. She's coming back Tuesday morning so you can still meet with Takashi senpai later that day. She invited us to come with her. Do you want to come?" Kaoru's heart pounded in his chest. He'd never asked Katsumi to come on one of the trips with them before but he was hoping she'd say yes.

"What about Kyouya?" Katsumi asked, Kaoru's shirt muffling her voice.

"Leave your phone here. Deal with him when you get back. Take the time you need to think."

"Okay" Katsumi said, moving back to wipe her tears. "Okay I'll go."

Hikaru, like the good brother he was, was listening to their conversation from the other side of the door. He grinned when he heard that Katsumi would be coming with to France. This was the perfect opportunity for him to work some mischief.

Kyouya paced his room. It had been 24 hours since he had heard from Katsumi and he was getting worried. He picked up his phone and dialed again. Like all the other times he tried, it went to voice mail. He stopped pacing and stood there, biting his thumb. Making up his mind, he dialed the Hitachiin manor.

"Hitachiin residence" the voice that answered said.

"Hello. This is Kyouya Otori. I'm calling for my girlfriend, Katsumi Horishito."

"Miss Katsumi is with the young masters in France."

"Excuse me, what?"

"They have gone to France for the weekend. They will return on Tuesday morning. I will let her know that you called when she returns. Good day, sir." With that the line went dead.

Kyouya yelled and threw his phone across the room. Those damn intervening twins. He bet that Kaoru was all over Katsumi right now. Pinching the bridge of his nose he slowed his breathing, calming himself down. He resumed his pacing. What could he do now? She was out of reach. After a moment of pacing an idea flashed through his head. Maybe she wasn't so out of reach after all.

Kyouya dove for his phone, picking it up and dialing the first number on speed dial.

"Tachibana" he said, slightly breathless. "New orders. Katsumi is in France. Find her, follow her, and keep me updated on her actions. Let me know if she's fraternizing with either of those twins."

"Yes sir." On the other end of the line Tachibana sighed. When would his master figure out that knowledge and control weren't the ways to get whatever he wanted?

"This is amazing you guys!" Katsumi remarked as she stepped into their hotel room in Paris. Yuzuha was thrilled that Katsumi and the twins had agreed to come along but could only get one extra hotel room at short notice. The room was still gorgeous, a penthouse suite with a beautiful view of the city from their own personal balcony. They had their own personal bathroom that was at least as luxurious as the one in Katsumi's room back home. However, there was one problem. Only two beds. Hikaru smiled mischievously as soon as he saw that. He knew exactly what to do.

"Do you guys always travel like this?" Katsumi asked, her eyes wide and sparkling with delight.

"Nah" Hikaru answered. "Usually our rooms are much bigger. But it sounds like this is all mom could do on such short notice. Seriously though, only two beds."

"Oh" Katsumi stopped short. "I hadn't realized that. I'll just sleep on the couch. You guys take the beds. I'm lucky to be here as it is."

"No way" Kaoru stated. "I'll sleep with Hikaru, you take the other bed."

"You aren't sleeping with me!" Hikaru exclaimed. Kaoru looked over at him with shock, but Hikaru winked at him. Kaoru groaned internally. What was Hikaru planning now?

"I guess I'll take the couch then" Kaoru sighed.

"No, Kaoru, don't do that. You can stay with me" Katsumi insisted. Hikaru's eyes lit up. Everything was going according to plan.

"N-no it's fine" Kaoru stuttered. "I'll be fine on the couch"

"I won't hear of it. We've shared a bed before. What I don't get is why Hikaru's being so stingy." She turned to glare at Hikaru.

"Remember that time in Karuizowa? Us sharing a bed did not go well then."

"We've shared beds since then." Kaoru narrowed his eyes at him suspiciously.

"Well I don't want to share" Hikaru said stubbornly. "I don't have to explain myself."

"It's fine guys, don't argue. Kaoru will stay with me." Picking up her bags Katsumi set them on the biggest bed in the main room. "This way Hikaru gets his own bed and own room and can stop being such a party pooper." Katsumi rolled her eyes. These boys were so dramatic. She actually looked forward to having Kaoru with her. He would distract her from all her unhappy Kyouya like thoughts.

"Sounds good to me" Hikaru countered, moving his bags into the second room of the suite. He grinned to himself as he walked. This was perfect. Kaoru let out a light groan. This was practically torture. Why did Hikaru have to torment him by pushing him closer to a woman he'd never have. Even if she broke up with Kyouya, why would she ever want him?

"So Kaoru" Katsumi said as she plopped down on the bed "What is there to do for fun around here?"

"That" Kaoru replied as he lay down next to her "I will have to show you tomorrow. It's late, and I'm exhausted."

"You're expecting me to sleep when I'm this excited?!" Katsumi asked.

"Have you ever been outside of Japan before?" Kaoru asked her, propping himself up on one elbow.

"Well no, not exactly" Katsumi squirmed sheepishly.

"But you had a passport!"

"Kyouya made me get it. I think he was planning on taking me somewhere at some point. I guess I'll never know now." Katsumi punctuated that last thought with a sigh, all excitement leaving her face.

"You're thinking about breaking up with him?" Kaoru clarified.

"How can he expect me to choose between him and Takashi senpai? I know Takashi would never ask me to do that. I know you boys wouldn't ever ask me to do that either."

"Well yeah, we love you." Kaoru answered, his throat closing up. He'd never told her he loved her before, but he got the feeling she wouldn't interpret it how he felt it.

"I love you guys too" Katsumi gave him a dazzling smile, but Kaoru felt his heart drop. She may love him, but she wasn't in love with him. "I thought Kyouya loved me."

"Maybe he does" Kaoru answered, opening his arms as an invitation for her to lie down. She took it, using his arm as a pillow, resting her head on his shoulder. Katsumi loved taking in his scent. He wasn't musky and alluring like Kyouya, or dark and intoxicating like Takashi. He was warm and comforting. She felt herself relax immediately. "I think he doesn't know how to show it. He's always been into power and control. Even with us host club members. I think he doesn't know how to let go of that, even for your sake."

"Well he better learn" Katsumi said flatly. "I'm not a possession. I can never be just his. A part of me belongs to you two, and Takashi senpai, and Haruhi too. He can't dictate who I can see and who I can't. Maybe I'll lay some ground rules for him and if that works I'll stay."

"Sounds like a good idea" Kaoru murmured. Hikaru had his ear pressed up against the door, listening intently. What was his brother thinking, sending her back into the arms of the Shadow King? True everything he said was correct, but Hikaru had handed him this chance with her on a silver platter and he was ignoring it. Shaking his head Hikaru turned back to bed and turned off the light. He'd have to think of something else.

Katsumi yawned and stretched as she woke up, her eyes still closed. She felt Kyouya pressed against her and she snuggled back into him, feeling his morning erection press against her back. She smirked sleepily and reached back to grasp it over his pajama pants. Kaoru had woken up a few minutes before her, enjoying the feeling of holding her in his arms. When she had reached back and touched his morning wood however he went completely still. What game was she playing? Wasn't she planning on going back to Kyouya? These thoughts were soon clouded by lust as she touched him over his pants, her hand feeling infinitely better than his own.

Katsumi opened her eyes, about to roll over and kiss Kyouya when she realized that she wasn't in Kyouya's room. Everything came flooding back to her at once, the argument, the dinner, France, Kaoru… KAORU! She immediately withdrew her hand and listened to see if Kaoru was still sleeping. She didn't hear the slow even breaths he would've made if he were sleeping. Everything was totally silent. She squeezed her eyes shut. Great. Fantastic.

Slowly she rolled over. "Kaoru?"

His eyes were wide, looking at her with surprise. He wasn't quite sure what to say.

"I'm sorry Kaoru. I was still waking up. I thought you were Kyouya. I-"

"No need to apologize" Kaoru breathed. So this was a normal morning interaction between her and Kyouya?

"No really I'm sorry. Even if he were here I probably wouldn't behave like that. I'm still pissed at him. My mind was just foggy. And-" Katsumi stopped herself. She was babbling. She felt horrible. Kaoru probably hadn't wanted her to touch him like that. He was her best friend and she was sure he saw her like a sister. She hoped she hadn't ruined their friendship.

"Really, no need to apologize. I understand." Kaoru pulled himself together and smiled at her. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her.

"You mean I haven't ruined everything?" Katsumi mumbled, relieved.

"No way" Kaoru said. "It was an accident. I get it."

"I just didn't want you to get the idea that I was promiscuous. Even with Kyouya I'm not usually like that. My sleepiness must've gotten the better of me." Damn it. She was babbling again. She always babbled when she was embarrassed.

"I don't think you're a slut Katsumi" Kaoru said sternly. "You're with Kyouya, you're allowed to be like that with him. And this was an accident."

"Thanks Kaoru" Katsumi sighed contentedly. "I'm glad you understand."

"Well good morning you two" Hikaru said as he came out of his room. "How was last night?" He watched as a blush colored both their faces.

"Fine, just fine Hika" Kaoru answered, not quite meeting his eyes.

"Yeah, fine" Katsumi said, rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly.

Hikaru was suspicious, but he brushed it off. He'd get Kaoru to tell him what happened later.

"Well you two can't just lay in bed all day. Come on, get dressed. We've got shopping to do. We have to take souvenirs back for the rest of the host club members or Tamaki will kill us." He threw a pair of pants at Kaoru. "So get a move on."

With Hikaru's incessant nagging the trio were out of the hotel room in record time. Yuzuha was going to be busy for most of the trip, leaving the twins and Katsumi to their own devices. Hikaru's insistence on buying souvenirs led them down to a local farmer's market. Katsumi was pawing through some leather keychains she thought would be perfect for Haruhi and Takashi senpai when Kaoru came up behind her.

"Hey Kaoru. Which of these should I get Haruhi? The braided one, or the one in the shape of the Eiffel tower?"

"The braided one, definitely. She'd like that."

"I thought so too. I think I'm going to get one of these for Takashi senpai too. He seems like he'd like simple gifts."

"Yeah Mori senpai isn't flashy. He doesn't carry keys with him though so a key chain would be a no go. Good idea for Haruhi though."

Katsumi sighed. "You're probably right." She handed the one keychain to the owner of the stall. Katsumi held out her money so they owner could choose the correct amount, since she didn't speak French.

"You're being silly Katsumi, just ask him how much it is" Kaoru teased her.

"I can't. I don't speak French."

"Oh. Let me." Katsumi's mouth hung open in amazement as Kaoru spoke perfect French. He joked with the stall manager and paid for her keychain. As they were walking away Katsumi was still gawking at him.

"What?" Kaoru asked her. "You're looking at me like I did a backflip or something."

"I didn't know you spoke French!" She exclaimed, exasperated.

"Of course I speak French. Lots of my mom's business dealings are in France. I can also speak English and a bit of Spanish." Kaoru shrugged like it was no big deal.

Katsumi just shook her head. "You boys teach me something new about you every day. Speaking of you two, where's Hikaru?"

"No idea" Kaoru stopped and looked around, not catching a glimpse of his brother's bright red hair. "He'll catch up with us though. And he has his phone on him."

"Ooh that sounds good. How about some ice cream?" Katsumi asked, pointed to an ice cream vendor. "I wonder what flavors they have."

"Sure, but I'm paying. No arguments" Kaoru said with a smile. Katsumi rolled her eyes at him as she grabbed his hand, leading the way.

Hikaru watched his brother and Katsumi from behind one of the nearby booths. This was going about just as well as he had planned. His mind flashed back to his memories of Karuizowa from this past summer. It seems like he and Kaoru and switched places.

As they were moving over to the booth to get ice cream, a tall broad man accidently bumped into Katsumi, knocking her off balance. As he retreated, she saw someone at one of the booths who looked eerily familiar to her. The man tried to hide his face once he realized she saw him, but it was too late.

"Tachibana" Katsumi whispered.

"What is it?" Kaoru asked.

"It's Tachibana" Katsumi answered, her voice going ice cold. She couldn't believe it. Kyouya had her followed. How did he even find out they were in France?!

Kaoru's face went white. This was a mistake Kyouya was not coming back from.

"Tachibana" Katsumi called out. "Come over here please."

Wincing Tachibana went over to Katsumi and Kaoru. He couldn't believe that she had seen him. She was more observant than Master Kyouya gave her credit for.

"Did Kyouya send you?" she demanded.

Tachibana just nodded.

"I can't believe this. Call him. Call him right now." The cold menacing edge to her voice reminded Tachibana very much of Kyouya. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed.

"Yes. What is it Tachibana?" Kyouya asked when he picked up.

"Hello Kyouya." He felt his blood run cold. How had Katsumi gotten her hands on Tachibana's cell phone?

"Katsumi I-" Kyouya began.

"Don't bother trying to explain yourself. I can't believe you had me followed to France. Do you not trust me?"

"I trust you. It's just the twins-" Kyouya was cut off again.

"I trust them. That should be enough for you."

"You're mine. It's my duty to protect you. I want to make sure you're safe."

"I'm plenty safe Kyouya. But I'm not a possession. I'm not just yours. You need to share me with them."

"I share you plenty with them!" Kyouya's voice began to rise. "You're with them far too much as it is. You should be spending more time with me than you do with them."

"They're my best friends Kyouya. You can't have me all to yourself. You need to learn to share."

"And you need to make a choice!" Kyouya yelled. "Is it me you want to be with, or them?"

"Them" Katsumi said simply. "You can't make me choose between you and my friends. First Takashi senpai and now Hikaru and Kaoru. I won't take it Kyouya. It's over. See you Wednesday at the club meeting." With that Katsumi ended the call.

Kyouya sat in his chair dumbstruck. Katsumi had just broken up with him. Why? Couldn't she see that he loved her, that he just wanted her all to himself, that he was just trying to protect her? He slammed his phone down on his table. What was he going to do now? He had to get her back.

Katsumi calmly handed the phone back to Tachibana.

"Your services here are no longer necessary. Please go back to Kyouya."

"Yes Miss Katsumi" Tachibana replied quietly before disappearing into the crowd.

Kaoru and Katsumi were promptly joined by Hikaru, who seemed to appear out of nowhere.

"Are you okay?" he asked Katsumi.

"What do you think?" she shot him a look, one tear sliding down her cheek.

"Let's go back to the hotel. Tamaki senpai can deal with not getting a souvenir."

"Can we just go home?" Katsumi asked. Kyouya had ruined her whole trip.

"Sure, the plane can take us back at any time" Kaoru replied.

"I just want to go home and get back to living my life. We can go dancing tonight like you guys had originally planned, and I'll see Takashi senpai tomorrow."

"Whatever you need Katsumi. We're here for you" Hikaru and Kaoru said in unison, wrapping their arms around her.

"Thanks guys" Katsumi replied before breaking down in tears. "I don't know what I would do without you."


	13. Chapter 13

Katsumi groaned as the lay on the floor of the dojo. She hadn't been able to land a hit on Takashi senpai all day. Her body was sore from all the times he'd knocked her on her ass but she was determined to beat Kyouya out of her thoughts.

"Again" Katsumi groaned as she struggled to her feet.

"Really?" Takashi asked, his brow furrowing in concern. He could tell she was sore. She'd taken quite a beating, and she wanted to go again?

"Yes, really." Katsumi ground her teeth in resolve. "Again."

She lashed out wildly and Takashi was easily able to avoid her attack. She was upset, that much was clear. Her emotions were making her sloppy and predictable. She was taking it out on him instead of talking to him about it. What was so upsetting that she couldn't even bring it up?

Takashi blocked another wild punch, easily deflecting it. She wasn't even thinking about the moves she was making. He delivered a swift kick to her stomach causing her to double over, the breath knocked out of her. She fell to her knees, gasping.

"Going to talk to me now?" Takashi asked, crouching down and placing a hand on her shoulder.

"What makes you think I have anything to talk about" Katsumi wheezed, straightening herself out.

"Something's wrong" Takashi answered simply. She was avoiding looking at him in the eye.

"Nothing's wrong!" Katsumi half yelled, attacking him again with no warning.

She tried kicking him but he caught her foot and knocked her off balance, causing her to fall onto her back.

"How about now?" he asked, crossing his arms impatiently. Takashi was usually a patient man, but he had thought they were friends. Now she wouldn't even talk to him.

Katsumi sat up, pulling her knees close to her body and burying her head in her hands. Takashi was about to go sit by her when he heard the sobs. He'd never dealt with a woman in tears before. He froze, no idea what to do.

"I'm sorry Takashi senpai" she choked out between sobs. "I'm such a mess."

Takashi shook his head to clear it. She obviously needed him right now. He crossed his legs and sat next to her, resting a light hand on her back. As he sat he rubbed soothing circles on her back, silently supporting her, waiting for her to cry herself out and talk to him.

After several minutes Katsumi sniffed and lifted her head from her arms. She raised one of her hands and wiper her eyes. Turning her head she saw Takashi senpai watching her patiently, ever the stoic silent companion. She sighed, she supposed she should tell him.

"I broke up with Kyouya this weekend. I'm a bit torn up about it."

"What happened?" Takashi's stomach turned. If they had broken up because of what had happened between him and Katsumi… well he just couldn't live with himself.

"Lots of things" Katsumi sighed and rested her chin on her arms. "I told him what happened with us and he demanded that I choose between my friendship with you and my relationship with him. That really didn't sit well with me. Then I met with his father. That was…" Katsumi laughed without humor. "God, that was awful. He demanded an engagement between Kyouya and I. Children. I… it was too much. I had to do some thinking, get away for a while. I went with the twins to France for most of the weekend. He had me followed there, then had the gall to demand that I choose between him and all my friends. So… I broke up with him." Katsumi buried her head in her arms and began to sob again.

Takashi sat there frozen. She and Kyouya were finished. They'd broken up. It wasn't his fault but… he felt like the catalyst. Then hope flitted through him. If she wasn't with Kyouya senpai then maybe… MAYBE… they had a chance.

"I don't know why I'm so upset" Katsumi laughed through her tears. "He made me choose between him and my friends but… I don't know. I really did like him. I just don't get how he could be so possessive."

Takashi opened his mouth to say something but quickly closed it again. He didn't have any words that could comfort her. He could only be here.

"I don't want to think about this anymore." Katsumi sat up straight and wiped the tears from her face. "Let's do something else. Anything else."

"What do you want to do?" Takashi asked, removing his hand from her back and bringing it to rest in his lap.

"I don't know" she sighed. "I can't focus on sparring, or homework. Know anywhere fun we could go?"

"Well… um…" Takashi stuttered.

"How about an arcade? Any of those around here?"

"I wouldn't know."

"Have you ever been to one?"

Takashi ducked his head and rubbed the back of his neck with his hand.

"You've never been to an arcade?!" Katsumi asked incredulously.

Takashi just shook his head, a sharp, short movement of his neck. He hadn't done a lot of things. He'd spent his whole life studying and practicing martial arts. The thought of going to an arcade had never even crossed his mind.

"Come on!" Katsumi practically jumped to her feet, grabbing his hand and towing him behind her. "Let's go find one!"

Takashi wasn't quite sure how they'd ended up here. It took a good ten minutes for Katsumi to describe to his driver what they were looking for, and another hour for him to even find one. The inside of the arcade was dirty, the food sold there greasy. He had no idea how anybody could have fun in a place like this.

"I haven't been to an arcade in years!" Katsumi explained, grinning at him. "I don't even know which game we should try first."

Takashi glanced around. He wasn't sure how to play any of these games. He'd never been a video game person, and some of these games looked completely based on luck. Katsumi dragged him over to a game that he had no clue how to play.

"What is this?" he asked.

"Ski ball. You've never played?" Takashi shook his head at her again. Katsumi huffed impatiently. "You put your coin in and it gives you a bunch of balls. You roll the balls up the slope and try to get them into the holes. The holes are labeled with how many points they're worth. And you try to get the most points. You game to try?"

Takashi shrugged his shoulders. The game sounded easy enough. He slid a coin into the slot and 5 balls came rolling down towards him. He aimed for the 100 point hole and missed completely. Katsumi stifled a giggle. He tried the easier 20 point hole and managed to make it on the second try. By the end he'd only scored sixty points.

"It's alright. I'm not much good at it either," Katsumi consoled him.

"Again" Takashi said, his voice hard. He was determined to beat this game. Katsumi shrugged her shoulders. It was interesting to watch laid back Takashi get so competitive.

Takashi aimed for the 100 point hole and made it. And it happened again. And again. A perfect score. Katsumi stood agape.

"Were you hustling me?!" she demanded.

"Fast learner." He grinned at her. "Let's try something else."

For the next several hours they went around to all the games. Takashi even managed to beat the claw machine, winning Katsumi a teddy bear to take home.

"You know, I've never seen anyone beat that thing" Katsumi said as they walked. They had decided to walk back to Takashi's house. It turned out that it wasn't actually that far from the arcade. "How did you do it?"

Takashi shrugged, trying to hold back the grin that was threatening to spread across his face. He'd had a good time. He couldn't remember the last time he'd done something that fun. She'd showed him a part of her world, opened herself up to him a little bit. He'd enjoyed every second he'd spent with her.

Katsumi clutched the bear to her chest. Takashi was being his quiet self, as usual. She'd actually had fun with him. He'd made her forget, for a while anyways. She looked up at him, trying to gage what he was thinking. He was unreadable, as always.

They walked in silence for a while.

"What Kyouya did, it wasn't right."

Katsumi almost jumped when he spoke. He had stopped walking and she had walked right past him without thinking. She turned around to look him in the eye.

"I could never make you choose. We all have to share you."

Katsumi could see conflict raging behind his eyes. There were things he was leaving unspoken. Things he was thinking about saying. Katsumi wasn't quite sure if she was ready to hear them. She had just left Kyouya. Her emotions were still a wreck. She didn't even know what she was feeling.

Takashi took a couple steps toward her. He towered over her, a literal giant. He was so close she could almost smell him, a dark and intoxicating scent that made her almost want to give in.

"He hurt you," Takashi said simply, wrapping his arms around her. Katsumi rested her head on his chest, breathing him in, feeling his warmth.

"I could never do that to you."

Before Katsumi knew what was happening, Takashi had tilted her chin up and pressed his lips to hers. She felt heat explode throughout her body and could taste him on her lips; a dark sweetness that encouraged her to never stop. She brought a hand up to the side of his neck and felt goosebumps form under her fingertips. She pulled back slightly.

"Takashi… I…"

"I'm sorry" he said, taking a step back. Katsumi felt suddenly cold.

"I can't right now Takashi. I don't know how I feel about anything. I just… I can't. Please… just take me home." Katsumi felt a lump in her throat. She liked him, felt the pull between them, but something wasn't right. She had to settle things with Kyouya. Takashi just nodded, pulled out his phone, and called his driver.

Katsumi groaned as the bell rang, signaling the school day was over. She didn't want to face them, any of the boys. Kyouya and Takashi especially. She hadn't heard from Kyouya since she'd gotten back from France and Takashi… she was sure she'd hurt him the previous night. She felt a light hand on her shoulder.

"Come on Katsumi, time to go" Haruhi said, her eyes sympathetic. With a sigh Katsumi stood up, shouldered her bag, and followed Haruhi up to Music Room #3.

They got there before any of the guests had arrived. It was the Wednesday after a break, and some of the students were still gone on vacation, so the club would be pretty slow today.

"Kyouya?" Katsumi asked, slowly approaching him. "Can I talk to you?"

"If you must" Kyouya said icily, not even looking up from his black book.

"In private?" Katsumi didn't want their dirty laundry to be aired out before the whole of the host club.

Kyouya sighed and indignantly got up from his seat. He followed her into one of the clubs many dressing rooms.

"What do you want, Katsumi? I think you made your feelings very clear the other day" Kyouya asked, still scribbling down notes.

"I wanted to give this back. I didn't feel right keeping it." Katsumi took the sapphire and diamond necklace out of her bag and handed it to him.

"Keep it. It was a gift."

"Kyouya, look I…"

"I don't want to hear it. You don't want to be with me, fine. We're over." Kyouya had rehearsed this conversation in his head over and over and it wasn't going the way he'd planned. He'd wanted to beg her to come back, to be his again, but begging wasn't in his nature. Instead he hid his emotions behind an icy mask and was probably pushing her even farther away, farther into the arms of another man.

"Kyouya! You won't even talk to me?"

"I don't have anything to say to you" Kyouya spat through gritted teeth. "You tore my heart out all because you wanted to gallivant around with other men! FINE! Go! You're free now!"

"You think that's what this is about?! Me wanting to be with other men?!" Katsumi's voice became more and more strained. She couldn't believe him.

"Of course it was! You think I don't notice the way they look at you!? Kaoru and Mori senpai and the others! They all want you. But you were mine! Only you didn't want to be!" Kyouya's cool mask was breaking but at this point he didn't even care. He was furious.

"Yes Kyouya, I was yours. I never cheated on you. But then you made me choose. You made me choose between you and my friends! How am I supposed to do that?!"

"EASY! You. Choose. ME. I loved you!"

"You never loved me! You wanted to possess me! I'm not some trophy to be won Kyouya Otori! I'm a person." Tears began to flow down Katsumi's cheeks. "I'm a person and you could never see me as one. I'm a trophy you wanted to hoard all to yourself and keep on the top shelf. I can't be with someone who just wants to lock me away. I need my friends."

"You shouldn't need anyone besides me! I gave you everything!"

"You gave me nothing! You just tried to buy my love in different ways, with words and time. You never loved me Kyouya. You need to trust someone to love them. You just wanted me. Check mate Shadow King. Game over." Katsumi threw the necklace at his feet and stormed out of the dressing room, slamming the door behind her.

Kyouya stood there frozen to the spot, his pen snapped in half between his fingers. How dare she claim he never loved her? How dare she claim he never gave her anything? He had given her his heart, his soul, his everything.

His thought process was interrupted by a knock at the door. Tamaki walked in without him answering.

"I don't want to talk right now Tamaki" Kyouya said coldly, adjusting the glasses on his face.

"You may not want to talk but I have some things you need to hear."

"Not now Tamaki"

"Yes now. Kyouya you're being selfish. I heard that whole argument. You can't ask her to choose!"

"And why not?" Kyouya said mockingly.

"Because she's a person. You can't keep her isolated. Kyouya, you didn't trust her."

"Of course I trusted her. It's just Mori senpai and those shady twins that I didn't.."

"No, you didn't trust her. And you can't have love without trust. Kyouya, have you ever trusted anyone or have you always been prepared for them to turn their backs on you?"

Kyouya stopped for a moment, mulling the thought over in his head. He'd been prepared for all kinds of deception, even of his most trusted employee, Tachibana.

"That's what I thought" Tamaki said, crossing his arms. "You just wanted to possess her, to have her be another pawn in your game like everyone else around you. She's not the kind of woman you can do that to. She's not a piece that you alone can move. She's a queen that thinks for herself and who just removed herself from your game because you're too shortsighted to see that trusting her, letting her do with her life as she wished would get her to adore you for the rest of yours. You can't possess a person Kyouya, and if you think you can, you're doing it wrong."

Tamaki stood there waiting for Kyouya's reaction. After a good five minutes of processing, Kyouya turned to him.

"What can I do?" Kyouya asked him.

"Go to her. Apologize. Listen to her. I think she's in the storage room. She went to get more tea."

Kyouya brushed past him out the door without uttering a word.

Katsumi stood on her tiptoes, reaching for the tea jar on the very top shelf. She had grabbed it and was pulling it off the shelf when she tipped backwards, falling off the ladder. She fell back into a pair of strong arms.

"You need to be more careful." Katsumi winced. Takashi senpai.

"I'm sorry Takashi senpai. I'll be more careful next time."

"I'm sorry" Takashi said, setting her down gently on the floor.

"I'm sorry too" Katsumi sighed, looking up at him. She could see the concern in his eyes.

"Are you going to be okay?" he asked, jerking his head in the direction of the doors. Katsumi grimaced. Had everybody heard their argument?

"I think I'll survive. He's so pig headed. He can't even admit that he did something wrong! It's always all my fault" Katsumi huffed frustratedly.

"Do you love him?"

"No. Yes. Maybe…. I don't know. I don't think so. How can you love a person that never really saw you as one?"

Takashi just nodded. He could feel the tension between them. He could probably cut it with a katana. Ever since they'd first kissed, hell, even before then, there'd been a spark between them. One he couldn't quite put out.

Katsumi could feel it too. In this small enclosed space she could smell him everywhere. That scent always drew her into him. She usually was able to stop herself, but this time she wasn't so sure.

Before she knew what had happened his lips were on hers, melding to hers. She reached up to wrap her arms around his neck and his arms went to her thighs, lifting her up so she could wrap her legs around his waist. His tongue flitted forward and brushed her lower lip, asking her for entrance. Their tongues immediately entangled and they could taste each other. It was a mix of dark sweetness, intoxicating ripeness. Her hands moved into his hair, eliciting a soft moan from his mouth. He turned them around and pressed her up against the wall, this time drawing a moan from her. His mouth moved to her neck, peppering it with light kisses.

"Katsumi I'm sorry I'm wondering if we could…" The door to the storage room opened and they couldn't quite separate in time.

Kyouya stood there in the door trying to absorb the sight. Katsumi was in Mori senpai's arms, her legs around his waist, his mouth on her neck. It hadn't taken her any time to move on at all.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude. Excuse me." Kyouya slammed the door behind him and raked his hands through his hair. He felt a single tear slide down his cheek. He couldn't remember how many years it had been since he'd cried.

In the storage room Katsumi groaned and rested her head on Takashi senpai's shoulder. What in the world was she going to do now?


End file.
